Russia has no immediate plans to resume trilateral negotiations with Ukraine and the United States aimed at ending the war, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said, while insisting that Moscow remains open to further diplomatic contacts.
“There are currently no concrete plans to hold contacts in this format. What happens next does not depend on us,” Ryabkov said, according to Russia’s RIA Novosti news agency.
Ryabkov blamed Ukraine for the suspension of the trilateral meetings but stressed that Russia had not ruled out restarting diplomatic engagement.
His remarks followed comments by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who described the war between Russia and Ukraine as having reached a “strategic stalemate,” with no clear prospects for a diplomatic settlement in the immediate future.
Rubio warned that the impasse could lead to further escalation, potentially drawing in other countries and turning the conflict into a wider confrontation. He also reiterated that Washington remained willing to help secure a peace agreement.
Conflicting signals over a possible return to negotiations
On September 25, Russian President Vladimir Putin said proposals to resume negotiations with Ukraine remained “on the table.” However, he indicated that Moscow would need to reassess its position following a large-scale drone attack shortly before the main day of voting in Russia’s State Duma elections.
Putin said Russia was prepared to return to dialogue after the vote. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov subsequently said Moscow expected a trilateral meeting involving Russia, Ukraine and the United States to take place in October.
Kyrylo Budanov, head of the Ukrainian president’s office, also indicated that discussions in the same format could continue, identifying October as a possible timeframe.
However, Peskov said the diplomatic process had become more complicated after US President Donald Trump signed legislation imposing tough sanctions on Russia. He argued that the measures complicated efforts to reach a settlement and said conditions were not currently in place for a return to peace negotiations.
Trilateral talks aimed at ending the war were held in January and February 2026, with two rounds taking place in Abu Dhabi and another in Geneva. Both the United Arab Emirates and Switzerland have since expressed readiness to host further diplomatic meetings.
Territorial demands remain a major obstacle
Territory remains one of the central obstacles to a potential agreement. According to reports, Putin continues to demand that Ukraine relinquish the Donbas region, a condition Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has rejected.
Sources cited by Bloomberg have also indicated that Putin has shown no willingness to soften his position. Instead, Russia has reportedly decided to intensify attacks on Ukraine’s energy and heating infrastructure in an effort to increase pressure on Kyiv.
Ryabkov’s latest comments underscore the uncertainty surrounding the prospects for renewed negotiations. Although Moscow says it remains open to diplomatic contacts, no concrete date has been announced for the resumption of trilateral talks.
