President Putin expresses readiness for renewed talks on Ukraine with the United States

On June 29, 2026, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced his expectation for the arrival of US negotiators in Moscow to resume talks concerning the war in Ukraine. Putin stated that Russia is prepared to continue negotiations once the current "hot phase" of tensions regarding Iran concludes. This statement was made in a Kremlin-released interview in response to questions about recent comments made by US President Donald Trump during the G7 summit in France. Trump had suggested that Russia must reach a deal with Ukraine to end the war, which began in February 2022, and warned that the US might reimpose previously suspended sanctions if no agreement is reached. This shift in rhetoric from President Trump has been interpreted by some international observers as a change in favor of Kyiv. The Russian president noted that US diplomatic focus has been diverted from Ukraine since the start of the joint US-Israeli military operations against Iran. Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov was also noted in recent reports regarding the diplomatic situation.