Overview

• U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance said Russia has declined recent bilateral meetings with Ukraine and trilateral formats involving a U.S. representative.
• Vance told Fox News the United States remains committed to pursuing peace despite Moscow’s refusal to engage.
• Zelensky said Russia stepped up daily strikes during the UN General Assembly period and rejected real peace proposals.
• Ukraine is urging measures that hit Russian oil trade and the tanker network, with calls to restrict access for the shadow fleet to the Baltic and other seas.
• Kyiv is pressing Washington for strong steps to change Moscow’s calculus, as analysts note Kremlin rhetoric questioning Zelensky’s legitimacy signals disinterest in a genuine settlement.