The Kremlin has kept the door open for a political settlement to the war in Ukraine, while acknowledging the absence of any tangible progress toward resuming tripartite negotiations involving Russia, Ukraine, and the United States, despite recent American diplomatic moves.
In press statements he made today, Monday, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov confirmed Moscow’s openness to reviving the tripartite formula, saying: “We hope that we will eventually reach the resumption of tripartite negotiations,” and indicating that his country will once again seek to “achieve its goals by peaceful means.”
On the other hand, Peskov stressed the continuation of Russian military operations – which Moscow describes as a “special military operation” – stressing that Russian forces continue to perform their tasks to achieve the goals set for them. In response to a question about the presence of any positive developments that would lead to the resumption of talks between the three parties, he answered clearly: “No, there is no progress.”
These developments come in the wake of a diplomatic tour conducted by US envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner in early September, during which the two sides visited Moscow and Kiev and met with Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky. Although the American side later announced the presentation of “new ideas” and the possibility of preparing for a new negotiating round, these efforts have not yet resulted in any actual breakthrough.
The gap remains wide between the positions of Moscow and Kiev regarding fundamental issues, most notably the fate of the disputed territories and the security arrangements for any prospective settlement, in conjunction with the continuation of military confrontations on the ground amid faltering international efforts to heal the rift.
