Ukraine prepares for US-Russia peace talks in October, Budanov says

September 12, 2026 at 11:13 PM2 min

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Ukraine is preparing for a new round of trilateral peace talks with the United States and Russia in October, Kyrylo Budanov, head of the Ukrainian president's office, said on September 12. He confirmed the format but declined to comment on a possible venue. The announcement follows weekend visits by US special envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner to Kyiv and Moscow.

Key Facts

Kyrylo Budanov, head of the Ukrainian president's office, said Ukraine is preparing for trilateral peace talks with the US and Russia in October.
Budanov confirmed the talks would be in a trilateral format but declined to comment on a possible venue.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio called the weekend talks by special envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner in Kyiv and Moscow substantive.
On September 6, Witkoff and Kushner met with President Volodymyr Zelensky in Kyiv and with Russian leader Vladimir Putin in Moscow the day before.
After the meetings, Zelensky said Ukraine is ready to return to trilateral talks on ending the war with the US and Russia.

October Talks

Kyrylo Budanov, head of the Ukrainian president's office, announced on September 12 that Ukraine is preparing for a new round of trilateral peace talks with the United States and Russia in October. He made the statement in a comment to Interfax-Ukraine on the sidelines of the YES meeting in Kyiv. Budanov confirmed the talks would be in a trilateral format but declined to comment on a possible venue.

US Envoy Visits

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio described the weekend talks by special envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner in Kyiv and Moscow as substantive. On September 6, Witkoff and Kushner were in Kyiv, where they held talks with President Volodymyr Zelensky and European partners. The day before, they visited Moscow and met with Russian leader Vladimir Putin. After the meetings, Zelensky said Ukraine is ready to return to trilateral talks on ending the war with the US and Russia. He also reported an agreement on a next meeting involving representatives of Ukraine, the US, and Europe.