Putin says Ukraine and Russia must negotiate peace, others can facilitate
Russian President Vladimir Putin said that agreements on ending the war should first and foremost be reached directly between Ukraine and Russia, while the US, China and other countries can contribute to this process. He also said he sees chances for a settlement. On the same day, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha declared that Kyiv expects new momentum in peace efforts with the start of the new political season.
Putin spoke about the negotiation process on September 3 during the plenary session of the Eastern Economic Forum.
"Russia and Ukraine must first agree among themselves. And all other countries are ready to support and help", - he stated.
Among the states that can facilitate the negotiations, Putin specifically named the United States and China. According to him, it is the parties to the war who ultimately have to settle the matter between themselves, while other countries can make a contribution to a peaceful settlement.
Putin also praised the American administration's approach to the negotiation process and said that Moscow maintains contacts with Washington. When asked about the prospects for a settlement, the Russian president replied that, in his opinion, there are chances for it.
At the same time, Moscow claims that direct communication channels with the Ukrainian side have not been completely cut off. According to Putin, some contacts between Ukraine and Russia continue, primarily through the special services.
Kyiv expects new momentum
Almost simultaneously with Putin's statements about negotiations, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha declared that with the start of a new political and diplomatic season, peace efforts could receive a new impetus.
"We will have new momentum in peace efforts", - Sybiha said on September 3 at a joint press conference with Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar.
The head of the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry stressed that diplomacy must play an increasingly active role, but he considers achieving a result without Washington's participation unrealistic. Sybiha reminded about President Volodymyr Zelenskiy's recent contacts with the American negotiating team and called to follow further news.
On August 31, Zelenskiy had a phone conversation with representatives of the US President Steven Witkoff and Jared Kushner. According to the President's Office, the negotiating teams of Ukraine and the US maintain constant contact, and the sides are currently coordinating a possible visit by Witkoff and Kushner to Ukraine. Zelenskiy stated that such a trip could help in developing solutions to end the war.
Kyiv and Moscow have different views on a leaders' meeting
Despite both sides' statements about readiness for diplomacy, their approaches to possible negotiations between Zelenskiy and Putin differ significantly.
The Ukrainian president has repeatedly declared readiness for talks at the highest level. In early August, Zelenskiy emphasized: "We will be ready for all formats of meetings".
At that time, Sybiha called a personal meeting between Zelenskiy and Putin one of the possible ways to give the negotiation process real momentum.
Moscow formally also does not rule out a meeting between the two presidents, but it takes a different approach to it. Putin previously stated his readiness to meet with Zelenskiy, in particular he proposed Moscow for this. At the same time, the Kremlin insists that a summit should take place only after the main agreements have been preliminarily agreed upon, and not be used to develop them.
On August 30, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov again said that a meeting involving Putin, Zelenskiy and US President Donald Trump is possible only to "record agreements". According to him, presidents should meet already at the final stage of negotiations.
The next day, Peskov repeated that Moscow is supposedly ready to receive Zelenskiy for negotiations, but in the case of a full-fledged summit, its task should be to finalize preliminary prepared agreements.
Thus, in early September, both sides publicly leave the diplomatic channel open, but the key difference remains: Kyiv advocates using a highest-level meeting as a tool to advance negotiations, while Moscow wants to move such a contact closer to the final stage of the process.
Based on materials: Ukrinform, Office of the President of Ukraine
