The Kremlin has signaled willingness to participate in trilateral talks with Ukraine and the United States, but no date or venue has been set. The indication followed meetings between US envoys Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff and President Vladimir Putin, after which Putin reaffirmed Russia’s commitment to continuing its military engagement in Ukraine, according to people familiar with the discussions. Fighting and aerial attacks continued without a formal ceasefire, while negotiations remained deadlocked over territory, security guarantees and ceasefire terms. Ukraine also sought stronger air defenses, energy assistance and US liquefied natural gas ahead of another possible winter of war. Prediction markets priced a formal Russia-Ukraine agreement by December 31, 2026, at 23.5%, and assigned a 20.5% probability to Russian forces entering Sloviansk by the end of 2026.