Overview
- Kyrylo Budanov, head of Ukraine’s presidential office, said on Saturday that a new trilateral round with the United States and Russia could take place in early October as talks resume preparations.
- U.S. special envoys Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff conducted shuttle diplomacy, meeting Vladimir Putin in Moscow on Sept. 5 and Volodymyr Zelensky in Kyiv on Sept. 6 to relaunch negotiations.
- Washington says it is working on a mediation framework but Jared Kushner has said the core barrier is Ukraine’s refusal to accept the territorial line Moscow demands.
- Moscow signalled it will not accept a Miami G20 meeting and is weighing venues such as Abu Dhabi or Turkey while Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov said there is no agreed negotiating package and that Putin will name Russia’s lead delegate.
- Previous trilateral rounds produced limited political breakthroughs but delivered humanitarian measures such as prisoner exchanges, and negotiators say early talks would focus on reducing strikes and protecting civilians and trade which could affect winter security and Black Sea shipping.