Keith Kellogg, US President Donald Trump's Ukraine envoy, has arrived in Kyiv to meet President Volodymyr Zelensky and "listen," as the war against Russia approaches its three-year mark.
Mr Kellogg's visit comes a day after the United States and Russia met in Riyadh for talks on ending the war, without Ukraine.
"It will give us a chance to have good substantial talks," Mr Kellogg said, adding that the talks will build on weekend conversations at the Munich Security Conference.
"We understand the need for security guarantees," Mr Kellogg told journalists, saying that part of his mission would be "to sit and listen".
Ukraine has repeatedly stressed the need for security guarantees from the US that would deter Russia from launching a new invasion once a peace deal is reached.
Mr Kellogg said he would share the findings with Mr Trump and the rest of the team to "ensure that we get this one right."
Mr Zelensky postponed a visit to Saudi Arabia planned for today in order not to give "legitimacy" to yesterday's meeting between US and Russian officials in Riyadh, two sources told Reuters earlier.
Mr Trump has dismissed Ukraine's concerns about being left out of US-Russian talks on ending the Ukraine war, saying Kyiv could have made a deal with Russia earlier.
Mr Zelensky posted on social media this morning that Russia's leadership are "liars" after a Russian drone attack overnight followed the talks in Saudi Arabia.
"We must never forget that Russia is ruled by pathological liars -- they cannot be trusted and must be pressured. For the sake of peace," he said.
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Mr Zelensky said Russia struck energy infrastructure in the southern region of Odesa, leaving 160,000 residents without heating and power.
"At least 160,000 Odesa residents are now without heat and electricity. Thirteen schools, a kindergarten, and several hospitals have also been left without power or heating," he said in a statement on social media.
The mayor of Odesa said the city came under a "massive" Russian attack.
"As a result of a massive enemy strike on a densely populated area of the city, there is no electricity, water, and heating in a large part of the residential quarters," Gennadiy Trukhanov said on Telegram.
He said in a separate post that 14 schools and over 500 homes were without power, adding that at least one person had been hospitalised.
Mr Trukhanov did not provide any further details about the nature of the attack.
For the past three years, Russia has been targeting Ukraine's energy infrastructure, as well as its towns and villages.
Separately, EU ambassadors agreed a new round of sanctions on Russia including a ban on importing Russian aluminium, diplomats said.
The package will be formally approved by EU foreign ministers on Monday, the same day as the third anniversary of Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
