President Volodymyr Zelensky said on 8 October that Ukrainian negotiators would meet Trump’s envoys in the US later this week to discuss the prospects for peace talks with Russia. He rejected US Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s description of a diplomatic impasse.
“You can't, on the one hand, negotiate with Russia about future economic projects, and on the other, talk about a diplomatic impasse. We are not in a diplomatic impasse. Shut down (Russia's) entire economy. Silence Russia. Don't feed them with your sales; impose sanctions on their weapons.”
Rubio had told the Greek outlet Kathimerini on 8 October that a negotiated end to Russia’s war against Ukraine was currently unattainable. He said Russia wanted full control over Ukraine’s Donetsk Oblast without fighting, a demand Kyiv has rejected.
Trump’s latest effort began in early September 2026, when his envoys travelled to Kyiv and Moscow seeking progress before the US midterm elections. The visits produced an agreement in principle for a trilateral meeting involving Ukraine, Russia and the US.
The meeting was initially expected in early October in the UAE. The sides were expected to consider an energy ceasefire, a possible reopening of the Black Sea grain corridor and humanitarian matters including prisoner-of-war exchanges.
On 4 October, Trump’s peace envoy Steve Witkoff told Zelensky that Washington wanted the meeting to take place in late October. People close to the negotiations attributed the delay to Russia’s position.
Zelensky had said on 4 October: “The U.S. wants to organize meetings. I think we will support it. But it is very important that not only Ukraine but also the Russian side support these meetings.”
Kirill Dmitriev, Putin’s envoy, visited the US twice in September for meetings with Witkoff and Jared Kushner.
The Russian position became clearer on 7 October, when Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov said there were no current plans for US-mediated talks between Russia and Ukraine. “There are currently no plans to hold talks in this format.”
A month after the initial agreement, the trilateral meeting remains uncertain and Moscow has shown little urgency to commit to it.
The Kremlin has repeatedly rejected a ceasefire and demanded that Kyiv surrender the partially occupied Donbas. Ukraine has called for a ceasefire along the current front line.
Trump has sought to broker an end to the war since returning to office in January 2025, with no success so far.
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