Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov has stated that trilateral negotiations between Russian, Ukrainian, and US representatives could begin in October. Speaking to reporters on Sunday, Peskov emphasized Moscow’s “does not rule out such a possibility,” specifying the timeframe as “presumably of course, October.”
Earlier this week, the Kremlin expressed hopes for a restart of talks involving all three parties. However, the trilateral format—most recently used in Geneva in February after earlier rounds in Abu Dhabi—stalled without meaningful progress when the U.S. shifted its focus to conflicts involving Iran.
Peskov’s recent comments follow a fresh round of shuttle diplomacy by Donald Trump’s special envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, who met with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow last week before traveling to Kiev for discussions with Ukrainian President Zelensky. The Kremlin described the exchanges with U.S. negotiators as constructive and “extremely candid,” while Witkoff indicated progress toward scheduling a three-way meeting. Potential resumption of trilateral talks was also discussed between Putin and Trump on Tuesday, according to Kremlin aide Yury Ushakov.
Ukrainian President Zelensky’s suggestion that the next round of negotiations could occur in the UAE, Türkiye, Switzerland, or another country as early as September or October has been condemned by Moscow as a strategic misstep undermining peace efforts. Moscow maintains openness to diplomacy but insists it must address root causes of the conflict and respect new ground realities, while Ukraine has consistently ruled out territorial concessions to Russia.
