Kremlin rejects US plan for Trump-Putin-Zelenskyy summit

The Kremlin has dampened expectations of a three-way peace summit involving US President Donald Trump, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Moscow says such a meeting would have no purpose unless an agreement to end the war were ready to sign.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the meeting could happen only “to initial agreements.” He described reaching a settlement as “a very complex process” involving many issues. Peskov also accused Kyiv of refusing what Moscow calls a “real settlement” to the war.

The Kremlin’s position came after reports that CIA Director John Ratcliffe had discussed a possible trilateral summit during a secret visit to Moscow on August 25. Axios, citing sources, said Ratcliffe explored whether a meeting between Trump, Putin and Zelenskyy could be arranged. The Wall Street Journal reported that Trump personally sent Ratcliffe and did not inform some close advisers and military commanders in advance.

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You know our head of state’s position well: such a meeting is possible only to initial agreements.

During the visit, Ratcliffe reportedly met senior Russian security officials, including Foreign Intelligence Service chief Sergei Naryshkin and Federal Security Service director Alexander Bortnikov. Axios said he sought to determine whether Russia’s security chiefs could persuade Putin to return to negotiations. The New York Times reported that Ratcliffe presented Bortnikov with a bleak assessment of Russia’s military and economy and urged Moscow to reach an agreement before its position worsened.

Trump first proposed a trilateral summit in August 2025 and said preparations were under way, with a meeting potentially taking place within two weeks. More than a year later, no summit has occurred. Ukrainian officials have said US-mediated talks between Ukrainian and Russian delegations could take place in September, while Kyiv remains sceptical of Moscow’s intentions. Ukrainian presidential office deputy Pavlo Palisa also said Putin had ordered Russia’s military to prepare scenarios for an offensive in northern Ukraine.

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A very complex process