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Ukraine-Russia Peace Talks May Include US in September

High-level diplomatic talks between Ukraine and Russia could resume in September with American participation, marking the first direct dialogue in over six months.

Eleni Papadaki-Van Der Merwe Staff Writer

AUGUST 27, 2026 AT 6:42 PM

According to New York Post, Kyrylo Budanov, chief of staff to the Ukrainian president, announced on Thursday that Kyiv is working to revive direct negotiations with Moscow, with significant developments expected to materialize next month.

The talks would mark a resumption of face-to-face diplomacy after months of stalemate. Earlier rounds of US-led peace negotiations ground to a halt this year following Ukraine’s rejection of Russian territorial demands and Washington’s shifting focus toward the escalating conflict with Iran.

American Involvement Essential

When asked by Ukrainian outlet Novyny Live whether the proposed talks would involve direct contact between Ukrainian and Russian negotiators, Budanov expressed cautious optimism about American participation. I’m hoping for that, yes, and American ones too, of course. We can’t do without them, he stated.

President Volodymyr Zelensky has recently indicated that Ukraine views the window for effective US mediation as extending through the end of next summer. Ukrainian authorities, working alongside American and European officials, have reportedly prepared a one-page proposal outlining key positions to be presented to Moscow.

Diplomatic Deadlock Since February

The last trilateral meeting involving Ukrainian, Russian, and US representatives took place in February. Since that time, both Ukrainian and Russian officials have engaged only in separate discussions with American negotiators, rather than direct bilateral talks.

The potential September meeting would represent the first direct Ukraine-Russia dialogue in the presence of US officials in more than six months, offering a chance to break through the diplomatic impasse that has characterized recent efforts to resolve the conflict.

With information from New York Post

Eleni Papadaki-Van Der Merwe

She was born in 1986 in Johannesburg, South Africa. She is the granddaughter of an immigrant from Crete who settled in the Greek community of Johannesburg (one of the largest in Africa). She holds a bachelor’s degree in International Relations and Political Science from the University of the Witwatersrand (Wits) in Johannesburg and a master’s degree in Journalism from Rhodes University in Grahamstown. She began her career at English-language media outlets in Johannesburg, covering politics and economics, with a focus on issues related to migration and the diaspora. She moved to Athens in 2015 to “return to her roots,” initially to pursue graduate studies, and has remained there permanently. She is married to an Afrikaner; they have two children and live in the southern suburbs of Athens.