Vladimir Putin has said there is a chance of reaching a peace agreement to end the war in Ukraine, while Kyiv claimed diplomatic efforts could now enter a “new dynamic”.
The Russian president said on Thursday, 3 September, that countries including the United States and China were prepared to support a settlement, but insisted that any final agreement would have to be reached by Russia and Ukraine.
“We are grateful to everyone attempting to contribute to a settlement. Is there a chance? In my view, yes, there is,” Mr Putin said at an economic forum in Vladivostok.
His comments came as Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha struck a cautiously positive tone in Kyiv, saying the “active phase of political and diplomatic engagement” was returning to capitals around the world.
“I believe that we will now have a new dynamic in the peace efforts, with the return of this active phase of political and diplomatic engagement in many capitals around the world,” Mr Sybiha told reporters.
Neither side set out specific grounds for expecting a breakthrough, however. Mr Putin said recent Ukrainian actions had made the resumption of formal negotiations more difficult.
Ukraine peace efforts face obstacles
The Kremlin leader accused Ukraine of attacking civilian merchant ships and referred to what he called “reported threats of attacks on civilian aircraft”, describing the alleged actions as “acts of state terrorism”. He said they complicated the prospects for bilateral peace talks.
Ukraine has warned airlines and insurers that Russian airspace is unsafe because of the presence of Ukrainian drones. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said Ukrainian forces would target Russian military facilities, not civilian aircraft.
Kyiv has also urged the UN aviation agency to ask countries to suspend operations in Russian airspace. Ukraine’s own airspace has remained closed to international civil aviation since Russia launched its full-scale invasion in 2022.
Mr Putin said contacts with Ukraine were continuing, mainly through intelligence channels, although he questioned whether they were bringing the two sides closer to an agreement.
“It is difficult for me to say right now to what extent these contacts are leading to a peace agreement,” he said, adding that communication was taking place “on an ongoing basis”.
He also said Moscow remained in contact with the administration of US President Donald Trump, which has sought to broker an end to the conflict. Those exchanges included intelligence officials and American envoys, he said.
Indian Foreign Minister S Jaishankar, speaking alongside Mr Sybiha in Kyiv, said New Delhi was ready to assist “in any manner”. Prime Minister Narendra Modi told Mr Putin earlier in the week that the war should end and that India would support efforts to stop the fighting.
The remarks came amid continued long-range attacks by both Russia and Ukraine, as well as escalating strikes on ports and commercial shipping in the Black Sea. The disruption has contributed to pressure on grain markets, with Chicago wheat futures falling by more than 2% after Mr Putin’s comments.
