Russian President Vladimir Putin said Russia is winning on the battlefield in Ukraine and has captured 270 square kilometers of territory in the Donetsk region in August, surrounding large groups of Ukrainian troops. He declared, "I have no doubt the enemy will crumble," but refused to negotiate with what he calls Ukrainian "terrorists" [1, 2, 3].
Putin denied rumors of new Russian military mobilization plans following the upcoming parliamentary elections, despite ongoing war efforts. He stated that Ukrainian attacks on shipping and calls for airlines to avoid Russian airspace are "acts of state terrorism that complicate prospects for bilateral peace talks" [1, 4, 5, 6].
Speaking at the Eastern Economic Forum in Vladivostok on September 3, Putin acknowledged that a chance for a peace deal to end the roughly four-and-a-half-year conflict exists but said "Ultimately... the problem must be resolved by the countries involved in the conflict — Russia and Ukraine." He noted that several countries including the US and China are ready to support a peace settlement [4, 7, 5, 6, 8, 9].
Putin said Russia continues contacts with the administration of former US President Donald Trump, who is committed to constructive engagement on peace. Trump expressed hope to end the war soon and willingness to hold a summit with Putin if a peace deal becomes possible, stating, "I just want to see this all come to an end. I believe we will." [4, 7, 5, 9, 10]
US mediators Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff met Putin in Moscow on September 5 to discuss ending the conflict. They planned to visit Kyiv on September 6 to continue talks. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy welcomed the US involvement, saying, "We expect to meet the US presidential representatives in Kyiv in the coming days. This is very important. The US keeps being actively involved." [10, 11, 12]
Ukraine and Russia agreed on a three-day consultation period during which neither side would target the other's capital. However, no formal peace talks have taken place since February, and fighting, including long-range attacks, continues on both sides along a largely static frontline [4, 7, 5, 11, 12].
Zelenskiy warned civilian airlines and insurers that Ukrainian drones have made Russian airspace dangerous but emphasized strikes target only military sites [4, 7, 6].
Despite renewed diplomatic contacts this week, the core conflict and territorial disputes remain unresolved. The next major diplomatic step is the planned US mediators' visit to Kyiv on September 6 for further negotiations.
