Ukraine, Russia set for new round of US-mediated talks

Ukraine and Russia have signaled their readiness to resume trilateral talks under US mediation.

"We're preparing. For October," said Kyrylo Budanov, head of the Ukrainian president's office.

Similar signals came from Moscow: "We do not rule out such a possibility. We are talking about the foreseeable future," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.

US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner aimed to revive trilateral talks to end Russia's war in Ukraine , visiting Moscow and Kyiv in the first week of September.

The last round of trilateral talks took place in January and February 2026 in Abu Dhabi and Geneva , without producing a breakthrough, as the issue of territory control in eastern Ukraine remained unresolved.

Vladimir Putin still demands more territory than Russia currently controls, Kushner confirmed on September 12, speaking online at the YES security conference in Kyiv.

"President Putin [has] laid out his line of what he wants to achieve. If Ukraine wanted to withdraw to that line, then obviously we have the rest of the deal set up and put together. Ukraine right now does not want to do that," the US envoy said.

The Ukrainian government has indicated it is willing to freeze the fighting along the current frontline in exchange for security guarantees. Such a step could be supported by 60% of Ukrainians, according to a poll by the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology conducted in summer 2026. A similar majority of respondents rejected giving up territory that Russia hasn't been able to conquer. 33% said Ukraine should give up territory that Putin demands.