Ukraine Says Preparations Underway for October Trilateral Peace Talks

Ukraine's chief of staff, Kyrylo Budanov, announced that preparations are underway for a trilateral peace negotiation with Russia and the United States in October. Speaking at the Yalta European Strategy forum in Kyiv on September 12, Budanov stated that the initial focus of the talks would be practical de-escalation measures, specifically Black Sea maritime transit and reducing strikes on civilian infrastructure. The announcement follows a recent diplomatic push by the United States. U.S. special envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner traveled to Moscow and Kyiv earlier in September for discussions aimed at reviving stalled negotiations. Their visit marked the first such trip to Moscow since February and their first to the Ukrainian capital. The previous trilateral meeting involving Ukraine, Russia, and the U.S. was held in Geneva in February. Russia has not confirmed its participation in the proposed October talks. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov stated that Moscow was not ruling out a return to peace negotiations but emphasized it was too early to determine when or where such talks could occur.