Kremlin Expects Another US-Ukraine-Russia Round 'Fairly Soon'

Dmitry Peskov told reporters Friday that Moscow is counting on another three-way round with the United States and Ukraine, according to RIA Novosti. The Kremlin spokesman said the timing would come quickly, describing the continuation as something already discussed with American negotiators.

Peskov leaned on Washington and European capitals to throw their weight behind a halt in the fighting around Kostyantynivka. He called on them to use their influence over the Ukrainians to push through what he described as a humanitarian operation in the Donbass city.

The idea traces back to earlier this week, when Russian President Vladimir Putin raised a localized ceasefire in Kostyantynivka during a meeting with US special envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner. Putin pointed to Oleshky in southern Ukraine, where a similar arrangement is already in place, as the template.

The trilateral track has been running in parallel with other contacts. Peskov said Wednesday that the Russian delegation sent to Abu Dhabi for talks with the US and Ukraine had no contact with the EU officials involved in the negotiations, telling reporters such meetings were neither planned nor held.