Putin unlikely to hold meaningful peace talks with Ukraine before February 2027

According to a source in Moscow involved in behind-the-scenes negotiations to end the war, Vladimir Putin remains focused on achieving his maximalist objectives in Ukraine.

"For the Russians, the preferred outcome is still that the Americans hand Ukraine over to us. They are not even hinting at any concessions. They keep repeating the same objectives. Their negotiating position essentially leaves no room for meaningful talks," the source told the Financial Times.

Senior Ukrainian officials involved in the peace process told the newspaper that Russian negotiators have urged the United States to pressure Kyiv into accepting major concessions. According to the officials, trilateral peace talks involving Ukraine, the United States and Russia are unlikely to resume before the end of the summer.

The report said Putin has shown no indication that Ukrainian drone strikes on Russian cities will push him toward negotiations. Instead, he has hardened his position, insisting that Russia is "winning" the war.

Although Russia's offensive has slowed, Ukrainian intelligence believes Putin has ordered his military to capture entire Donetsk Oblast by the end of this year, the Financial Times reported.

Russia-Ukraine peace talks: latest developments

Trilateral talks between Ukraine, the United States and Russia were suspended in February 2026 after the outbreak of the war in Iran.

On May 7, the Kremlin said it considered trilateral talks involving the United States, Ukraine and Russia inappropriate until Ukraine withdrew its forces from the parts of Donbas it still controls.

On June 4, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy published an open letter to Putin calling for an end to the war "between you and us" and proposed a face-to-face meeting. Zelenskyy also said Kyiv was prepared to implement a full ceasefire to facilitate negotiations and carry out an "all-for-all" prisoner exchange.

Putin dismissed the letter as containing "elements of rudeness" and rejected the proposal for a personal meeting.

It was later reported that Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich visited Kyiv in May with Putin's authorization. During the meeting, Zelenskyy reiterated that Ukraine would not agree to withdraw from Donbas.