Russia does not rule out the possibility of restarting trilateral negotiations with the United States and Ukraine.
Quick Look
- The Kremlin said Moscow does not rule out the possibility of holding a new round of trilateral talks with Washington and Kiev to discuss the war in Ukraine, following the visits of Trump's two special envoys, Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, to Moscow and Kiev.
- Both Ukraine and Russia have expressed their readiness for dialogue, but there are still disagreements on important issues such as the future of Donbass and ensuring security.
AI-generated summary
Why It Matters
US diplomatic efforts to end the conflict in Ukraine have stalled in recent months as Washington has shifted its focus to the war with Iran. However, the situation recently became more positive after two special envoys of US President Donald Trump, Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, visited Moscow and Kiev respectively to propose a new peace proposal.
The Kremlin said Moscow does not rule out the possibility of holding a new round of trilateral negotiations with Washington and Kiev to discuss the war in Ukraine.
Diplomatic efforts by the United States to end the conflict in Ukraine have stalled in recent months, as Washington has shifted its focus to the war with Iran.
However, the situation recently became more positive after two special envoys of US President Donald Trump, Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, visited Moscow and Kiev respectively to propose a new peace proposal.
"Russia does not rule out the possibility of resuming the trilateral mechanism, but it is too early to talk about a specific location or time at this time," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters on September 7, talking about the possibility of negotiations with the US and Ukraine.
Two special envoys Witkoff and Kushner met with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky over the weekend in a new effort to end the fighting.
A high-ranking source from the Ukrainian President's office revealed that the two special envoys this time brought "unlike before" and "more effective" proposals to end the conflict, but did not specify them. President Trump suggested on September 4 that the US had a new proposal but did not mention details.
President Zelensky announced on September 6 that he had a "very substantive" exchange with US special envoys, adding that Ukraine is ready to conduct trilateral dialogue with the US and Russia. He also said the parties discussed providing support in the energy and air defense sectors to Ukraine before winter.
Yuri Ushakov, foreign policy advisor to President Putin, also described the dialogue with US special envoys in Moscow on September 5 as "very useful". A White House official told Reuters news agency that next steps would be announced in the coming weeks.
Previous rounds of negotiations mediated by the US did not bring many results as Russia and Ukraine still disagree on important issues, including the future of the Donbass region. Russia asked Ukraine to withdraw its troops from the entire Donbass region, but Kiev rejected the possibility of territorial concessions.
For Ukraine, security guarantees from the United States and its European allies are key to preventing conflict from recurring once a peace agreement is reached. Ukraine's President said this issue had been discussed, but did not say whether the parties had made any progress or not.
What to Watch
AI outlook — possibilities, not facts
The trilateral round of negotiations between the US, Russia and Ukraine will be held within the next 4-6 weeks.
Likely · Within weeks
Ukraine will continue to demand security guarantees from the US and Europe as a precondition for any peace agreement.
Very likely · Within weeks
Open Questions
- What is the specific content of the new peace proposal from the US?
- When will the specific location and time of the three-party negotiation round be determined?
- Can Ukraine and Russia find common ground on the Donbass issue and ensure security?
