Zakharova: Russia has not received any proposals for talks on Ukraine
Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said at a press conference on Friday that Russia had not received any proposals from Ukraine or any other country to resume negotiations on the Ukrainian crisis in September. Her comments came in response to earlier statements by the head of the Ukrainian presidential office, Kyrylo Budanov, about possible talks between Ukrainian and Russian delegations.
When one side speaks of readiness for dialogue while the other claims to have seen no signals, this creates not just an information pause but an atmosphere of mistrust where every word becomes a tool of political struggle. The statements from Kyiv and Moscow in recent months show that even when it comes to a possible meeting, the two sides speak different languages, and each new comment only deepens the divide. Resuming negotiations requires not only a willingness to sit at the table but also preliminary signals — which, according to Zakharova, are currently absent.
Budanov said that the delegations could meet next month to discuss a settlement of the conflict, the Interfax Ukraine news agency reported on Thursday. Earlier, delegations from Ukraine, the United States and Russia held two rounds of talks in Abu Dhabi on 23–24 January and 4–5 February, and then another round in Geneva on 17–18 February. Since then, the talks have been suspended.
The negotiation process between Russia and Ukraine has been effectively frozen since February 2026, when the Geneva round concluded. Since then, the two sides have repeatedly exchanged statements about possible resumption of dialogue, but no concrete steps have followed. Mediators, including the United States and other Western countries, have periodically voiced support for negotiations, but the absence of mutually acceptable conditions and divergent positions on key issues make the resumption of meetings unlikely in the near term.
As CCTV+ reports, Zakharova's statement has once again confirmed that the negotiation track remains blocked. Although Kyiv speaks of a possible meeting in September, Moscow denies having received any proposals. Without concrete signals and mutual concessions, a return to the negotiating table remains a rhetorical gesture. In the coming weeks, the situation is unlikely to change unless one side takes a real step forward.
