Kyrylo Budanov, chief of staff to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, said Kyiv hopes direct negotiations with Russia can resume in September and include U.S. representatives after months of stalled peace efforts.
By yourNEWS Media Newsroom.
Ukraine is working to revive negotiations with Russia as early as September, with Kyiv saying any renewed talks should include the United States.
Kyrylo Budanov, chief of staff to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, said Thursday that Ukrainian officials expect movement toward another round of diplomacy next month after previous U.S.-backed efforts stalled.
Asked by Ukrainian media outlet Novyny Live whether he was referring to direct negotiations between Ukrainian and Russian representatives, Budanov said he was.
“I’m hoping for that, yes, and American ones too, of course. We can’t do without them,” Budanov said.
His comments indicate Kyiv is seeking to restore a trilateral format involving Ukraine, Russia and the United States rather than relying solely on separate contacts between Washington and the two warring countries.
The most recent talks involving representatives from all three sides took place in February.
Since then, Ukrainian and Russian officials have held separate discussions with U.S. negotiators, but direct trilateral talks have not resumed.
The wider peace process lost momentum this year after Ukraine rejected Russian demands that it surrender additional territory.
Washington’s attention was also increasingly drawn toward the conflict with Iran, further complicating efforts to sustain negotiations over the war in Ukraine.
Budanov said Kyiv is now aiming to restart that diplomatic track, with further developments possible during September.
Zelenskyy has also recently suggested that Ukraine sees a limited period in which U.S. mediation could produce meaningful results.
According to the Ukrainian president, Kyiv believes there is a window of opportunity for American involvement lasting through the end of next summer.
Ukraine has already worked with U.S. and European officials on a one-page set of proposals that is intended to be presented to Moscow, Zelenskyy said.
The details of those ideas were not disclosed in the information provided.
The effort comes as the two sides remain divided over some of the most difficult issues in any potential settlement, particularly territory.
Russia has sought additional Ukrainian concessions, while Kyiv has refused demands to cede more land.
That disagreement was a major factor in the breakdown of earlier negotiations.
Budanov’s remarks nevertheless suggest that Ukrainian officials believe direct talks can be revived despite the unresolved territorial dispute.
The role of the United States remains central to Kyiv’s approach.
By saying “we can’t do without them,” Budanov made clear that Ukraine does not view bilateral negotiations with Moscow alone as sufficient for the next stage of the peace process.
If talks are held in September, they would mark the first return to direct Ukraine-Russia negotiations involving U.S. representatives since February.
For now, no meeting has been formally announced.
Budanov’s comments instead reflect Kyiv’s effort to reopen negotiations next month while maintaining U.S. participation as a core condition of the diplomatic process.
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