Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy both stated on Thursday, September 3, 2026, that there is a possibility for a peace agreement to end the ongoing war. President Zelenskiy announced that U.S. negotiators are scheduled to visit both Kyiv and Moscow in the coming days.
The conflict has lasted four and a half years, and formal U.S.-mediated negotiations have not occurred since February 2026. During the interim, both nations have increased long-range air strikes and engaged in hostilities at sea that have disrupted commercial shipping. President Putin, speaking at an economic forum in Vladivostok, noted that while the U.S. and China are ready to support a settlement, he said the final resolution must be reached between Russia and Ukraine.
U.S. negotiators Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, who last visited Moscow in January, are expected to lead the upcoming delegation. In Washington, U.S. President Donald Trump told GB News he believes an end to the war is achievable. However, President Putin identified new obstacles, describing Ukrainian attacks on merchant ships and reported threats of attacks on civilian aircraft as "acts of state terrorism." Earlier in the week, President Zelenskiy warned that the presence of Ukrainian drones made Russian skies dangerous, though he stated only military targets would be struck.
The conflict has also involved maritime escalations that have increased costs for commercial shipping and insurance companies. President Zelenskiy’s recent warnings to airlines and insurers regarding drone activity in Russian airspace have created new risks for the transportation sector. The upcoming visit by U.S. negotiators Witkoff and Kushner represents a renewal of high-level American diplomatic involvement, which had slowed while the U.S. was focused on a separate conflict in Iran.
The next steps in the process depend on the upcoming meetings in Kyiv and Moscow, for which preliminary dates have been set but not publicly disclosed. Future progress may also be influenced by President Trump’s stated desire for a summit with President Putin once a deal is ready. Additionally, Ukraine has recently urged the United Nations aviation agency to ask members to ban operations in Russian airspace, a move that remains under consideration by member states. Ongoing communication between Russia and Ukraine continues primarily through intelligence channels.