Ukraine will hold consultations in the US on 9–10 October 2026, where discussions will focus on stepping up diplomatic efforts to end the war and preparing a possible format for negotiations involving Kyiv, Washington and Moscow. According to RBC-Ukraine, the delegation will include Kirill Budanov, Rustem Umerov, David Arakhamia and Serhiy Kyslytsia.
Briefly about the main points
- Meetings between the Ukrainian and American sides are scheduled for Friday and Saturday.
- RBC-Ukraine has named the four representatives who will travel to Washington.
- The President confirmed that talks were taking place, but did not disclose the members of the group.
- Kyiv is seeking to step up diplomatic efforts to bring the Russian-Ukrainian war to an end.
- Zelenskyy called on the US to step up economic and sanctions pressure on Moscow.
RBC-Ukraine has named the four members of the delegation
According to the publication, the Ukrainian side will be represented by the head of the President’s Office Kirill Budanov, Head of the Foreign Intelligence Service Rustem Umerov, leader of the «Servant of the People» parliamentary group» David Arahamia and First Deputy Head of the Presidential Office Sergey Kislitsa.
Zelensky On 8 October, whilst speaking to journalists in in Pryluky He confirmed that Ukrainian negotiators would travel to the US for meetings on Friday and Saturday. He did not specify the members of the delegation.
In September, all four officials named by RBC-Ukraine were involved in establishing contacts with representatives of the US President Steve Witkoff і Jared Kushner.
The consultations are intended to pave the way for the next diplomatic phase
Sources speaking to RBC-Ukraine have reported that the parties will focus on stepping up diplomatic efforts and preparing for the next round of talks. Among the possible options under consideration is a meeting between the negotiating teams from Ukraine, the US and Russia.
The planned consultations will take place in a bilateral format between Kyiv and Washington. At the same time, a source quoted by the publication suggested that US representatives may hold separate consultations with the Russian side in the second half of October to discuss the terms of potential agreements.
Zelenskyy calls for increased pressure on Moscow
According to Reuters, Zelenskyy has appealed to the US President Donald Trump with a call to step up the pressure on Russia. He criticised the situation in which Washington is discussing possible future economic projects with Moscow, whilst there has been no diplomatic progress towards ending the war.
The Ukrainian President believes that the economic and sanctioned The pressure should force Russia to take the peace agreements more seriously.
Washington does not foresee a swift diplomatic resolution
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio On the eve of the consultations, he stated in an interview with the Greek newspaper *Kathimerini* that he saw no realistic prospect of a swift resolution. He described the situation as a strategic impasse and highlighted Russia’s demand to establish full control over the Donbas, which Ukraine rejects.
Rubio also confirmed the US’s readiness to continue diplomatic efforts should an opportunity for an agreement arise. Ukraine had previously stated that it was ready to take part in technical trilateral talks; the US side was considering holding such a meeting by the end of October, specifically in the United Arab Emirates or another agreed-upon country.
