Kremlin doesn't rule out restarting three-way peace talks with Ukraine, US
The statement comes after U.S. envoy Jared Kushner said Washington hopes to resume negotiations in a trilateral format.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov stated on September 7 that Russia is not ruling out the possibility of restarting three-way peace talks involving Ukraine and the United States, but declined to provide specifics on location and dates. This came after U.S. envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner visited Moscow and Kyiv over the weekend in an attempt to advance peace negotiations.
Kushner expressed optimism that the talks could resume in a trilateral format, as Washington had been focused on its conflict with Iran since the last round of trilateral discussions in February, which saw significant divisions between Kyiv and Moscow on territorial issues.
Peskov, in remarks to Russian media, indicated that he had no knowledge of the outcomes of the U.S.-Ukraine talks in Kyiv. However, he did not outright rule out the prospect of a subsequent conversation between Russian President Vladimir Putin and his U.S. counterpart, Donald Trump. Those familiar with the recent negotiations reported that while the envoys presented revised peace proposals, no breakthroughs were achieved, as Putin remains committed to intensifying his war against Ukraine.
One of the proposals reportedly included a mutual pause in aerial strikes, but Russia rejected this idea. Moscow eventually agreed to a limited three-day ceasefire in strikes targeting the capital cities during the envoys' visits.
The behind-the-scenes accounts contrast with Witkoff's public assertion that the visits resulted in "substantive progress," particularly in the direction of trilateral talks. Peskov did not disclose details about the discussions in Moscow or address whether the new U.S. proposals deviated from the ones discussed last year in Alaska, where Moscow insisted that Kyiv cede Donbas region.
This territorial condition remains a primary obstacle in peace negotiations, as Kyiv is unwilling to yield more territory and advocates for a ceasefire along the existing front lines.
Despite these diplomatic efforts, President Volodymyr Zelensky reported after meetings with U.S. envoys on September 6 that the war is expected to persist into the winter. Ukraine is preparing for a potential surge in Russian aerial assaults during the colder months, having experienced significant damage to its energy infrastructure during the previous winter campaign when Moscow's attacks knocked out 9 GW of power.
Written by urgent.news from Kyiv Independent's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
