Ukrainian negotiators meet Witkoff and Kushner in the US as Rubio says a settlement is out of reach
Ukraine's team led by Kyrylo Budanov holds two days of talks with US envoys on 9–10 October, with Europeans expected to join, while Secretary of State Rubio said a negotiated end to the war currently appears unattainable.
A Ukrainian delegation — Kyrylo Budanov, head of the Presidential Office, Serhii Kyslytsia, Davyd Arakhamia and Rustem Umerov — is meeting US special envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner in the United States on 9–10 October, President Volodymyr Zelensky said. He expects a European team to join, Ukrainska Pravda reported.
Zelensky said options for a sectoral ceasefire, “both maritime and energy”, are on the table, along with air defence; with European partners Kyiv will discuss bringing forward financing.
Pessimism in Washington and Moscow
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio told Greek newspaper Kathimerini on 8 October that there currently appears to be no prospect of a negotiated settlement, because Russia insists on getting all of Donetsk region without fighting — a demand Kyiv rejects, The Kyiv Independent reported. Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said on 7 October there were no current plans for US-mediated Russia–Ukraine talks.
Zelensky pushed back: “We are not in a diplomatic impasse,” he said, urging tougher sanctions on Russia’s economy.
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