The Kremlin has stated that a meeting between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin is only possible once the agreements are ready for finalisation.
“And these agreements are by no means a simple deal. It is a very complex settlement process comprising a vast number of details. Of course, it is completely pointless for the presidents to meet simply to discuss all this. They can only meet to finalise the agreements,” said the Russian President’s press secretary, Dmitry Peskov.
He also accused the Ukrainian side of, in his words, being unwilling to engage in “genuine settlement”.
On 29 August, Axios reported, citing sources, that CIA Director John Ratcliffe had proposed, during a visit to Moscow, a trilateral meeting between the presidents of the US, Ukraine and Russia.
According to the publication’s sources, Ratcliffe’s trip was partly linked to an attempt to ascertain whether the heads of the Russian security services could help persuade Vladimir Putin to resume negotiations with Ukraine, mediated by the US.
Sources claim that the CIA Director concluded that FSB Director Alexander Bortnikov is a “constructive player capable of helping to resume diplomatic efforts”.
It is also reported that on Friday, Washington informed Volodymyr Zelenskyy about the talks in Moscow and about Ratcliffe’s proposal to hold a trilateral meeting.
On 28 August, Zelenskyy announced that Kyiv had received information from the United States regarding the meetings that representatives from Washington had held in Russia. He expressed his gratitude for “the information and the necessary tone of the conversation with Russia”, and also welcomed the “coordinated approach” and, in his view, the US’s realistic vision regarding further actions.
The New York Times also reported, citing sources, that during his meeting with Bortnikov, the CIA director shared his “bleak assessment” of the state of Russia’s war against Ukraine and stated that, in his view, it was time for Moscow to begin serious negotiations to end the war.
On 29 August, Vladimir Putin met with Alexander Lukashenko at his residence in Novo-Ogaryovo.