The Kremlin on Monday poured cold water on the prospect of a three-way peace summit between Russian President Vladimir Putin, US President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, saying there is “absolutely no point” in such a meeting without a deal ready to be signed.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said any meeting between the three leaders would only make sense if it were held to formally seal agreements ending Russia’s war against Ukraine.
“You know the position of our head of state well: such a meeting is possible only to fix agreements,” Peskov said, adding that a settlement would be a “very complex process” involving numerous details.
He also accused Kyiv of refusing to pursue what Moscow calls a “real settlement” of the war.
Peskov’s comments came after reports that CIA Director John Ratcliffe proposed a trilateral summit during a secret Aug. 25 visit to Moscow.
Sources cited by Axios reported that Ratcliffe raised the possibility of bringing Trump, Putin and Zelensky together.
Trump first floated the idea of a trilateral summit in August 2025, saying preparations were underway and suggesting it could happen within two weeks. More than a year later, the meeting has yet to take place.
According to The Wall Street Journal, Trump personally sent Ratcliffe to Moscow without informing some of his closest aides and military commanders beforehand.
During the visit, Ratcliffe met with Russia’s top security officials, including SVR chief Sergei Naryshkin and FSB Director Alexander Bortnikov.
Axios sources said the CIA director sought to determine whether Russia’s security chiefs could persuade Putin to return to negotiations.
The New York Times reported that Ratcliffe delivered Bortnikov a “bleak assessment” of the Russian military and economy and urged Moscow to strike a deal before its position deteriorated further.
Yet the Kremlin’s latest message suggests Putin remains far from ready to compromise.
After Ratcliffe’s visit, Ukrainian Presidential Office head Kyrylo Budanov said US-mediated talks between Ukrainian and Russian delegations could take place in September.
Kyiv, however, remains skeptical of Moscow’s intentions.
Budanov’s deputy, Pavlo Palisa, said Putin had ordered Russia’s military to prepare several scenarios for an offensive in northern Ukraine, including possible advances toward Kyiv and Chernihiv.
Meanwhile, the Kremlin continues to demand that Ukraine surrender the remaining Ukrainian-held parts of Donbas, where Kyiv’s forces control roughly 20% of the territory.