Ukraine Prepares for October Peace Talks With Russia and US

Ukraine is preparing for a possible resumption of trilateral peace talks with Russia and the United States in October as diplomatic efforts to end the more than four-and-a-half-year war regain momentum.

Kyrylo Budanov, chief of staff to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, told reporters on Saturday that Kyiv was getting ready for renewed negotiations involving all three countries.

“We are getting ready. In October,” Budanov was quoted as saying by Ukrainian media while attending a conference in Kyiv.

His comments came days after U.S. envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner traveled to Moscow and Kyiv for discussions aimed at reviving stalled diplomatic efforts. The trip marked their first visit to Moscow since February and their first to the Ukrainian capital.

The previous trilateral meeting involving Ukraine, Russia and the United States was held in Geneva in February. U.S.-led efforts to broker progress subsequently slowed as Washington turned its attention toward the conflict with Iran.

Following their latest meetings, Witkoff said both Moscow and Kyiv appeared to welcome renewed momentum toward negotiations.

Zelenskiy also responded positively, saying the American envoys had presented some “very decent, worthwhile ideas.” The Ukrainian president suggested Turkey, the United Arab Emirates, Switzerland or another country could host the next round of Ukraine-Russia-US peace talks.

Russia has stopped short of confirming an October meeting. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Moscow was not ruling out a return to peace negotiations but stressed that it remained too early to determine when or where talks could occur.

Despite the renewed diplomatic activity, major disagreements between Ukraine and Russia remain unresolved.

One of the most difficult issues is the future of Ukrainian-controlled territory in the eastern Donbas region. Moscow claims the area as Russian territory but has been unable to capture all of it despite years of intense fighting.

Any October negotiations would therefore face significant obstacles, although the latest diplomatic contacts suggest Washington, Kyiv and Moscow are again exploring whether a pathway toward ending the war can be established.