Updated
Updated · The Independent · Sep 7
Moscow Backs 3-Way Peace Talks After 3 Rounds of U.S. Shuttle Diplomacy
Updated
Updated · The Independent · Sep 7

Moscow Backs 3-Way Peace Talks After 3 Rounds of U.S. Shuttle Diplomacy

3 articles · Updated · The Independent · Sep 7

Summary

  • Moscow said it does not rule out resuming trilateral peace talks with the U.S. and Ukraine, though the Kremlin said it is too early to name a venue or dates.
  • Three rounds of negotiations have already been held, Zelensky said, with France, Britain and Germany also involved and separate talks with Trump envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner in Kyiv.
  • Those Kyiv meetings followed a 3-hour session between Witkoff, Kushner and Putin in Moscow on Saturday, raising hopes that U.S. shuttle diplomacy could restart a formal format.
  • Trump is expected to speak by phone with both Putin and Zelensky on Monday, while Peskov said the Kremlin also had not ruled out a Putin-Trump call.
  • The renewed diplomatic push comes amid sharp scrutiny in Kyiv, where a journalist challenged the U.S. envoys over repeatedly meeting Putin and asked whether he had been deceiving Trump.

Insights

With Russia holding 19% of Ukraine, what secret compromises might be hiding behind the proposed trilateral peace negotiations?
How will European forces guarantee Ukraine's security if a trilateral peace deal excludes them from the primary negotiating table?
Could the sudden push for a US-brokered ceasefire actually be a strategic stalling tactic before a harsh winter offensive?