US-mediated diplomacy has intensified in early September 2026, with envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner holding separate meetings with Vladimir Putin in Moscow and Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Kyiv, yet producing no immediate breakthrough or agreement on a leader-level encounter. Putin has previously stated that direct talks with Zelenskyy lack purpose until experts first reach preliminary understandings on core issues such as territorial control and long-term security arrangements. Both Moscow and Kyiv have signaled openness to resuming trilateral negotiations involving the United States, with Kremlin officials expressing hope for progress in the coming weeks and Zelenskyy indicating September or October as a potential window before winter. Ongoing military operations and divergent positions on ceasefires and guarantees continue to constrain prospects for a bilateral handshake in the near term.