Ukraine may resume negotiations with Russia at the end of September to end the war, in a process that is expected to be mediated by the United States.
The head of the Ukrainian presidential office, Kyrylo Budanov , told The New York Times that talks could return to the negotiating table in the last weeks of September. According to him, the process is expected to begin with a series of high-level meetings between US representatives and the leaders of Russia and Ukraine.
At the center of the US diplomatic efforts are Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, representatives of US President Donald Trump. They are expected to travel to Moscow and Kiev this weekend for meetings with the leaders of the two countries.
According to Axios, citing US officials, Witkoff and Kushner will meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Saturday, while on Sunday they will hold a meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
The meetings are seen as an attempt to create the ground for the resumption of direct negotiations and to assess whether there is room for an agreement that would end the armed conflict.
The potential timing of the resumption of negotiations is also important. According to reports, the talks could take place after the Russian State Duma elections, which would be more than a month away from the midterm elections in the United States.
For Ukraine, any new negotiation process is tied to key issues, including security guarantees, territory and how a lasting peace would be ensured. Meanwhile, Russia has demanded that any agreement take into account its political and territorial demands.
The direct involvement of the US administration indicates that Washington intends to play a central role in efforts to end the war. However, it remains unclear whether the planned meetings will lead to a new round of negotiations or any concrete agreement.
Witkoff and Kushner’s visits to Moscow and Kiev are expected to serve as an important diplomatic test to understand the parties’ positions and their willingness to make concessions. If the parties manage to overcome their main differences, the end of September could mark the resumption of negotiations for a peace agreement. /Telegraph/