The war resumes after the brief suspension for the stop in Kiev of Donald Trump’s envoys. The road to peace remains uphill despite the double meeting of Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner with Vladimir Putin and Volodymyr Zelensky (and the national security advisors of Germany, France and the United Kingdom).
Witkoff called the talks “substantive and important” and said he was “very encouraged.” The Americans claim to have gathered “new ideas” in Moscow and are now aiming to quickly reopen a negotiating table between Russia and Ukraine. But, at least for now, no concrete turning point has emerged.
Zelensky reiterates that he wants a “dignified, reliable and lasting” peace for Ukraine, while also preparing for the opposite hypothesis: that the war continues into the winter. In the talks with the Americans, air defense systems, the supplies necessary to protect the country and an energy support package in view of new possible Russian attacks on infrastructure were discussed.
The territorial issue remains a relevant one. I think such complex issues can only be resolved at the level of leaders. But the main thing is that today we have the opportunity to discuss everything – security guarantees, Ukraine’s future, and the prosperity plan. We are talking… pic.twitter.com/1ihau4qC3O
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) September 6, 2026
The main issue remains that of the territories. Moscow also demands that Kiev abandon areas of Donbass that the Russian army failed to conquer, a condition that Zelensky continues to reject. For the Ukrainian president, an issue of this magnitude can only be resolved through direct confrontation at the highest levels.
Meanwhile, tension between Moscow and Berlin is also growing. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov called Western accusations of Russia’s involvement in the drone crash at Leipzig/Halle airport “in essence, the start of a real war.” Lavrov directly attacked Chancellor Friedrich Merz, accusing him of wanting to transform Germany into Europe’s leading military power again and of “de facto” declaring war on Russia. Berlin blames the attempted drone attack in August on Moscow, while the Kremlin rejects the accusations.