Russia is reportedly aiming for a new round of talks with the United States this fall, according to Russian state media. One reason for the delay in setting a concrete date between the two powers is their shared desire to avoid a meeting without meaningful results. Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov, quoted by the TASS news agency, explained that “it is preferable, as long as there is political will on both sides, to continue working behind the scenes to build a solid foundation for the next steps, so that all logistical and organizational aspects can be resolved quickly.
Meanwhile, in Washington, U.S. President Donald Trump is pressing ahead with his mediation efforts. According to his Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, Trump plans to meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky next week on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly debate in New York. Rubio noted that Trump “has spoken several times by phone with Russian President Vladimir Putin and has met with Zelensky on multiple occasions, and will probably do so again next week.”
Trump continues to promote his initiative to achieve a peace agreement between Kyiv and Moscow, though it has yet to produce concrete results. In August, he met with Putin in Alaska and a few days later hosted Zelensky and several European leaders at the White House in an effort to arrange a direct meeting between the Russian and Ukrainian presidents, followed by a trilateral summit with his participation. However, those efforts ultimately stalled.
Although Trump has repeatedly threatened to impose sanctions on Russia if Putin shows no willingness to negotiate, he has not yet implemented such measures. Rubio defended the president’s efforts, stating that “only Trump can speak with Putin, as well as with Zelensky and the European leaders.” According to Rubio, if Trump were to abandon his mediation attempts, “there would be no one left in the world capable of negotiating an end to the fighting.”
Nevertheless, the end of the war still seems distant. Ukrainian authorities reported that two people were killed in Russian attacks on Tuesday night. In the southeastern region of Zaporizhzhia, a strike killed one person and injured nine others, including a child, according to the head of the local military administration.
Meanwhile, the governor of Mykolaiv said that Russian forces shelled a farm, killing a tractor driver who was working in the field. These incidents reinforce the perception that while diplomatic efforts multiply, the violence on the ground continues to claim lives, hindering any immediate possibility of a lasting ceasefire.
