Diplomacy & Geopolitics
Ukraine-Russia-US talks could happen this month: Zelensky
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Tuesday that Russian, Ukrainian and US negotiators could meet as soon as September, after US envoys held separate weekend talks in Moscow and Kyiv.
“If all sides agree, we also want to hold it in autumn. If September works out, then it would be great. The earlier, the better,” Zelensky told reporters.
US envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, US President Donald Trump's son-in-law and negotiating partner, met Russian President Vladimir Putin and Zelensky separately over the weekend as Washington tried to revive negotiations to end the war.
Witkoff said the talks had made “substantive progress”, including movement on scheduling additional trilateral talks. The Kremlin said Monday it did not rule out three-way talks involving Russia, Ukraine and the United States, but spokesman Dmitry Peskov said it was too early to discuss a venue or dates.
Neither Moscow nor Kyiv has announced a breakthrough. Russian and Ukrainian negotiators last met for US-mediated talks in Geneva in February and did not reach an agreement on territorial issues.
Talks remain blocked in part over Ukraine's eastern Donbas region, which Russia does not fully control but has demanded as part of a peace settlement. Kyiv rejects Russian demands for recognition of territory Moscow claims as Russian.
Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. The war has killed hundreds of thousands of soldiers and civilians, displaced millions and expanded the use of drone warfare.
Update
Zelensky said a meeting between Russian, Ukrainian and US negotiators could take place as soon as September.
Zelensky said Ukraine wanted the meeting in autumn if all sides agreed.
Source note: AFP news report published on 8 September 2026 at 09:38:54 UTC.
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Zelensky warned that fighting appeared likely to continue into the winter.
Witkoff and Kushner's Sunday appearance in Kyiv was described as their first official trip to the Ukrainian capital.
UN rights chief Volker Turk expressed alarm at reports of fully autonomous drones killing people in Ukraine and called for an urgent ban on weapons that can kill without human involvement.
Source note: AFP news report published on 7 September 2026 at 15:40:29 UTC.
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A French presidency aide said US negotiators told European representatives that Russia was showing a new willingness to negotiate after the Russian Duma elections.
The aide said the Duma elections are due to be held on September 18-20.
The aide said US negotiators told Europeans to prepare for a fresh start to negotiations.
The source specifies that Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner briefed representatives from Germany, France and the United Kingdom separately from their briefing of Volodymyr Zelensky.
Source note: AFP news report published on 7 September 2026 at 14:32:09 UTC.
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A US envoy said 'substantive progress' was made during visits to Russia and Ukraine.
Source note: AFP news report published on 7 September 2026 at 14:20:54 UTC.
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The French presidency said US negotiators reported that Russia was showing a “new willingness” for Ukraine talks.
Source note: AFP news report published on 7 September 2026 at 14:13:52 UTC.
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Russian and Ukrainian negotiators last met for US-mediated talks in February in Geneva.
Those talks failed to produce agreement on the issue of territory, and talks have not resumed since.
The source says US-led efforts had stalled in recent months as Washington shifted focus toward the war with Iran.
Talks remain deadlocked over Ukraine's eastern Donbas region, which Russia does not fully control but has demanded as part of any peace settlement.
Source note: AFP news report published on 7 September 2026 at 10:49:13 UTC.
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Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Russia does not rule out resuming a trilateral format with Washington and Kyiv.
Peskov said it was too early to discuss a venue or exact dates for such talks.
Source note: AFP news report published on 7 September 2026 at 10:18:01 UTC.
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Ukraine's railways said US envoys had left Kyiv after talks with Volodymyr Zelensky.
Source note: AFP news report published on 6 September 2026 at 21:46:08 UTC.
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Volodymyr Zelensky said the war with Russia appeared likely to continue into winter.
A senior Ukrainian presidential official said Zelensky was meeting Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner again in a trio format.
Zelensky said Ukraine would hold talks with the US, France and Germany, without giving details.
British, French and German representatives attended a separate round of the talks.
Zelensky repeated that only a meeting between the two leaders could solve territorial issues.
Source note: AFP news report published on 6 September 2026 at 20:59:44 UTC.
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A senior Ukrainian presidential official told AFP that President Volodymyr Zelensky was holding another meeting with Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff in a three-person format.
The official said the envoys were still talking with Zelensky and described that as the most important part of the visit.
Source note: AFP news report published on 6 September 2026 at 18:59:19 UTC.
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A senior Ukrainian presidential official told AFP that the US envoys brought new, “more effective” proposals.
Source note: AFP news report published on 6 September 2026 at 18:51:18 UTC.
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A senior Ukrainian presidential official told AFP that Zelensky was holding further talks with just Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner.
Source note: AFP news report published on 6 September 2026 at 18:52:50 UTC.
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Jared Kushner said after the Kyiv talks that he hoped for “new ways to advance” peace.
Source note: AFP news report published on 6 September 2026 at 14:54:52 UTC.
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US envoy Steve Witkoff said the talks with Kyiv were substantive.
Witkoff said the talks would continue “as long as it takes”.
Source note: AFP news report published on 6 September 2026 at 14:44:37 UTC.
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US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner began talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Kyiv.
Zelensky thanked US President Donald Trump for allowing the envoys to come to Kyiv.
Zelensky said Kyiv had prepared airports for use but Russian strikes made arrivals by plane impossible.
The envoys visited Saint Sophia's Cathedral before the talks.
The item adds public reaction in Kyiv, with some residents welcoming the visit but doubting a breakthrough.
Source note: AFP news report published on 6 September 2026 at 13:38:39 UTC.
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Zelensky said Kyiv talks with the US envoys would involve European security advisers.
Source note: AFP news report published on 6 September 2026 at 12:34:36 UTC.
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US envoys Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff held talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Kyiv.
Zelensky published a video of the meeting and said: “Talks have begun.”
Ukraine's top security officials and negotiators were present, along with several European national security advisers.
Zelensky showed the US envoys Saint Sophia's Cathedral, opposite the SBU security building hit by a Russian drone Friday.
Witkoff and Kushner had visited Moscow eight times but had not previously held talks in Kyiv.
Source note: AFP news report published on 6 September 2026 at 12:33:08 UTC.
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A White House official said Witkoff and Kushner met Vladimir Putin to advance Donald Trump's peace agenda and discussed plans for next steps to be announced in coming weeks.
Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov called the Moscow talks extremely frank and said the Americans put forward ideas on possible routes to a settlement.
Ushakov said Russia told the US envoys it was confident it could achieve its military goals of seizing the rest of eastern Ukraine.
Russia and Ukraine said they would refrain from striking each other's capitals for a limited period while negotiations take place.
Zelensky said Ukraine was ready for the conversation and would remain constructive.
Ukraine's air force said Russia attacked overnight with 108 drones and missiles, while Moscow said it had shot down 258 drones.
Kyiv said Russian strikes killed 10 people across Ukraine on Saturday.
Source note: AFP news report published on 6 September 2026 at 10:41:00 UTC.
Update
US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner arrived in Kyiv by train on Sunday.
Their arrival came a day after they met Vladimir Putin in Moscow.
They are due to hold talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
Source note: AFP news report published on 6 September 2026 at 10:21:37 UTC.
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A senior Ukrainian official told AFP that Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner are expected in Kyiv on Sunday.
Source note: AFP news report published on 4 September 2026 at 14:19:26 UTC.
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The envoys are identified as Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner.
The envoys have travelled to Moscow multiple times but have never been to Kyiv.
Zelensky said tentative dates have been set for their first visit to Kyiv.
Zelensky said in July he had spoken with Witkoff and Kushner to reinvigorate diplomacy.
Source note: AFP news report published on 3 September 2026 at 18:02:36 UTC.
Update
Zelensky said Ukraine had confirmation from US President Donald Trump's envoys.
Zelensky said the envoys would have meetings in Moscow and Kyiv.
Zelensky said he was counting on a meeting in Kyiv in the coming days.
Source note: AFP news report published on 3 September 2026 at 17:46:11 UTC.
Uncertainty notes
No venue or confirmed date for trilateral negotiator talks has been announced.
It is not clear whether all sides will agree to the proposed meeting.
Source
AFP news report published on .