Russia-Ukraine Peace Talks Stall as U.S. Mediation Fails to Secure Concrete Dates

Contacts between Russia and the United States on the Ukrainian settlement are continuing at the working level, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Thursday. “At the working level, of course, our contacts with the U.S. continue,” Peskov told reporters, according to Sputnik.

Moscow has no information on plans or dates for a next round of Russia-U.S.-Ukraine trilateral talks, Peskov said. “At the moment, I do not have any information about specific plans and dates for the next round of negotiations,” he told reporters.

No Date for Next Trilateral Talks, Ukraine Seeks to Revive Negotiations

The Kremlin’s statement comes amid recent high-level diplomatic activity between Washington and Moscow. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio met in July on the sidelines of the ASEAN summit in Manila, their first in-person talks since September 2025 [1]. The discussion focused on bilateral relations and the situation in Ukraine [2].

Last week, head of Vladimir Zelensky’s office Kyrylo Budanov (designated as an extremist and terrorist in Russia) said that Kiev wants to try to revive the topic of negotiations on the settlement of the conflict in Ukraine. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has stated that his country wants an end to the war with Russia, but Kyiv will not cede to Moscow’s demands for territory [3].

Russia’s Open Stance on Negotiations

Russia remains open to participating in negotiations on the Ukrainian settlement, the spokesman added. “The Russian Federation continues the special military operation and would prefer to achieve its goal by peaceful means, but in the absence of the opportunity to do so, continues the special military operation,” Peskov concluded [4].

Moscow’s stated preference for a diplomatic resolution has been a recurring theme. In a recent interview, Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov stated that Russia is open to proposals that align with President Vladimir Putin’s position, though it will not compromise on its core aims [5]. Kremlin spokesman Peskov had previously confirmed that Russian President Vladimir Putin was ready to open peace talks with then-President-elect Donald Trump to end the conflict in Ukraine [6].

Concerns Over Frozen Assets and Western Policy

Russia will use all legal means to protect its interests in case of attempts to use its frozen assets in the West, Peskov said. “Russia will use the entire arsenal of legal means to protect its interests and to legally prosecute those who made and implemented such decisions,” Peskov told reporters, answering a question about the Kremlin’s assessment of the initiative by Sweden, the Netherlands, Spain and Poland to resume work on using frozen Russian assets to support Ukraine. Such actions of the West would be illegal and lead to legal consequences, Peskov added.

Russia is facing Europe’s aggressive policy, and any arguments to the contrary distort reality, Dmitry Peskov said. “Russia is facing a very aggressive policy towards itself from European countries. And this aggression is coming from European countries. Arguments to the contrary are a distortion of reality,” Peskov told reporters [7]. The West publishes many media horror stories about Russia’s alleged plans against NATO, but they have nothing to do with reality, the spokesman added [8].

Conclusion: Situation Remains Uncertain

Working-level contacts between Russia and the U.S. on the Ukrainian settlement continue, but no specifics have been provided on next steps. The Kremlin has stated that Moscow remains open to negotiations while continuing its military operation, per Kremlin statements.

While the two nations maintain lines of communication, a senior Russian diplomat has stressed that any future talks must align with President Vladimir Putin’s position, indicating that significant differences remain [5]. Moscow’s position is that the West has been “imitating a willingness to negotiate while openly issuing ultimatums to Russia,” according to Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov [9]. The prospects for a near-term resolution remain unclear.

References

1. “Lavrov and Rubio hold talks in Manila (VIDEO)”. RT.com. July 23, 2026.
2. “Lavrov-Rubio meeting: Ukraine war, dead Anchorage plan, renewed bilateral ties (VIDEO)”. RT.com. July 24, 2026.
3. The Epoch Times. “Ukraine Wants Peace but Won’t Surrender, Zelenskyy Says”. August 24, 2026.
4. Sputnik. “Russia Continues Dialogue With US on Ukraine Settlement Via Working Channels – Kremlin”. Sputnikglobe.com. July 23, 2026.
5. Zero Hedge. “Russia Says Ready For ‘New Ideas’ From US On Ending Ukraine War”. August 22, 2026.
6. NaturalNews.com. “Putin signals readiness for peace talks with Trump but stresses unchanged demands for ending Ukraine conflict”. November 13, 2024.
7. “Europe’s position on Ukraine is a ‘dead end’ – Kremlin”. July 14, 2026.
8. NaturalNews.com. “Russia Vows Continued Retaliation for Ukrainian Strikes on Civilians, Foreign Ministry Says”. August 22, 2026.
9. “Russia no longer believes West wants Ukraine peace talks – Lavrov”. July 10, 2026.

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