The Kremlin said Sunday that three-way talks between Russia, Ukraine and the U.S. on ending Europe's worst conflict since World War II could be held in October, Russian media reported.
"We do not rule out such a possibility; we are talking about the foreseeable future," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told journalists, according to Russia's Ria Novosti and Tass news agencies.
Washington is seeking to kick-start long-stalled efforts to end the more than four-year war, with U.S. negotiators visiting Kyiv and Moscow, and U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin speaking by phone.
Several previous rounds of negotiations have failed, while U.S.-led efforts stalled.
In an interview released Saturday, Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he would be willing to meet Putin at the G-20 summit for talks.
But Peskov immediately ruled it out as "impossible," speaking to AFP in New Delhi Saturday, repeating Moscow's demand that a meeting only take place in the Russian capital.
Zelenskyy's chief of staff also said Saturday Ukraine expects talks on a peace settlement to resume next month.
"We are preparing for October," Kyrylo Budanov told journalists, confirming the talks would take place in a three-way format. He did not give a precise date or location for the meetings.
U.S. negotiators visited Moscow and Kyiv last weekend to explore a peaceful resolution to the war in Ukraine. They also discussed the possible resumption of the three-way dialogue, suspended for months.
Negotiators conduct the talks and must consult their heads of state throughout the process. A direct meeting between the presidents of the U.S., Russia and Ukraine is only expected at the end.
The U.S. last mediated in February, during direct talks between Russia and Ukraine in Switzerland. Budanov was part of the Ukrainian delegation at the time.
Putin, however, has repeatedly rejected offers for a face-to-face meeting with Zelenskyy to broker an end to the conflict, which has killed thousands and crippled both countries' economies.
Both Moscow and Kyiv have escalated long-range strikes against each other in recent months, leading to the highest civilian death toll since the early days of the war.
Previous rounds of talks have foundered, with Moscow so far unwilling to drop its demands to end the fighting, including that Ukraine cede territory in the east not captured by Russian troops.
On Sunday, Kremlin adviser Yuri Ushakov told journalists, including AFP, there is so far no "coordinated package" on which to base negotiations.
"Currently, the idea is to agree on the territorial issue. But there are also many other questions," he added.
