OddsFrontLavrov says Russia is ready to resume three-way talks with Ukraine and the United States
Moscow’s foreign minister signalled support for another negotiating round, but no date, venue or agreed agenda has been announced.
Moscow signals readiness to return
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said Moscow is prepared for a new round of three-way negotiations with Ukraine and the United States. Speaking at an ambassadors’ meeting on 15 September, he argued that Russia had not rejected negotiations and said it had positions to present if the other participants were ready. The statement is a diplomatic signal, not evidence that a meeting has been formally scheduled.
Lavrov also said he expects to meet US Secretary of State Marco Rubio during the ministerial segment of the United Nations General Assembly in New York, scheduled for 22–28 September. Such a bilateral meeting could help determine whether the parties can settle on a venue, timing and working-level agenda. Abu Dhabi has previously been described by Russian officials as an acceptable location.
Kyiv is also open to a format
Ukraine’s government has publicly said it is ready to negotiate. At a briefing on 8 September, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Heorhii Tykhyi said Kyiv was prepared for bilateral or trilateral talks, including US mediation, and viewed a leaders’ meeting as the most effective format. He also stressed that the trilateral track depends on a decision from Moscow.
Prior rounds produced no settlement
Three rounds involving Russia, Ukraine and the United States took place in January and February 2026, two in Abu Dhabi and one in Geneva. Talks have not resumed in that format since then. After meeting American envoys in Kyiv on 7 September, President Volodymyr Zelensky said restarting negotiations was important and announced that Ukrainian, European and US representatives would meet again, without presenting a completed peace agreement.
What would make the signal substantive
The next meaningful threshold is a jointly confirmed meeting with named delegations, a date and an agenda. Major disputes remain over territory, security guarantees, sanctions, the sequencing of any halt in attacks and enforcement. Continuing Russian and Ukrainian strikes also show why expressions of readiness cannot be treated as a ceasefire. The story therefore carries no ceasefire alert: no truce was formally agreed or shown to have taken effect.