The Kremlin has poured cold water on the prospect of a direct three-way summit between Russia, Ukraine, and the United States, even as high-level diplomatic teams assemble in Florida to discuss an end to the nearly four-year conflict.
Despite reports from Kyiv suggesting a new diplomatic format was on the table, Moscow insisted on Sunday that no such meeting is currently being organised.
'No serious discussion'
The denial comes after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy claimed Washington had proposed a trilateral meeting. This would have marked the first face-to-face negotiations between the warring nations in six months. However, Russian President Vladimir Putin’s foreign policy adviser, Yuri Ushakov, told state media that the idea lacks legs.
"At present, no one has seriously discussed this initiative, and to my knowledge, it is not in preparation," Ushakov stated. He also claimed he had "not seen" the latest revised US proposal for ending the hostilities, despite the presence of Russian envoy Kirill Dmitriev in Miami.
Dmitriev is reportedly participating in talks mediated by US special envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner. "Dmitriev will return to Moscow, make his report, and we will discuss what to do next," Ushakov added.
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A souring diplomatic climate
While the Miami gathering represents a shift toward more inclusive mediation, Zelenskyy himself expressed doubt that the proposed format would yield results. "I am not sure that anything new could come of it," the Ukrainian leader told journalists, though he admitted a joint meeting would be "logical."
The last direct official contact between the two sides occurred in Istanbul in July, resulting only in prisoner exchanges. Since then, the conflict has remained brutal; Zelenskyy reported on Sunday that Russia launched roughly 1,300 drones and 1,200 aerial bombs against Ukraine in just the past week.
Moscow remains particularly critical of European involvement in the negotiations, arguing it complicates the process. With trust at an all-time low, the path toward a face-to-face breakthrough remains obscured by skepticism and continued military escalation.
