Russia and Ukraine have signaled openness to resuming three-way talks with the United States after U.S. envoys held weekend meetings in Moscow and Kiev, though the diplomatic push produced no immediate breakthrough.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Moscow did not rule out restarting negotiations involving Russia, Ukraine and the United States.
“We also do not rule out the resumption of this trilateral format,” Peskov said on Sept. 7, adding that it was too early to discuss a venue or exact timing.
Peskov said Moscow had not yet received information about the outcome of the envoys’ talks in Kiev. He also said a phone call between U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin could follow the meetings.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky similarly said another trilateral negotiating session was possible, although no decision had been made.
Zelensky said September and October should be used to restart dialogue before winter. He told Axios that he believed Washington could pressure Putin to take steps toward de-escalation.
“My feeling is that Putin needs Trump. He doesn’t want ... to upset him,” Zelensky said.
The Ukrainian leader said the U.S. envoys had told him that Russia was ready to negotiate but expressed skepticism, citing Moscow’s continued military operations and intensified attacks.
The talks included possible steps to limit attacks on energy infrastructure and protect grain shipments and oil and gas exports during the winter, according to Zelensky.
He said the U.S. delegation would brief Trump before continuing consultations with Ukrainian and European officials.
Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff and his son-in-law Jared Kushner met Putin in Moscow on Sept. 5 before traveling to Kiev for talks with Zelensky the following day. The trip marked their first official visit to Ukraine.
Kremlin aide Yury Ushakov described the more than three-hour meeting in Moscow as “highly useful.”
Following the Kiev talks, Witkoff said the discussions had been “meaningful” and that the U.S. side was “very encouraged.”
British Prime Minister Andy Burnham and Trump also agreed in a phone call on Sept. 7 on the need to continue working toward a ceasefire, according to Downing Street.
Attacks resumed after a three-day pause in strikes on the Russian and Ukrainian capitals expired on Sept. 7. Fighting elsewhere had continued during the pause.
Russian strikes on Kiev early on Sept. 8 killed at least two people and wounded seven, according to the city’s military administration. Two residential buildings were damaged, while drones also struck the nearby Boryspil and Fastiv districts.
Russian authorities, meanwhile, said a Ukrainian drone hit civilian infrastructure in the Saratov region, injuring several people.
