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Miami talks, Russian strikes on Zaporizhzhia and the unresolved fight over Donbas
More than four and a half years after Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, diplomacy has resumed but no breakthrough has come. On 9 October 2026, US envoy Steve Witkoff said talks in the United States between US, Ukrainian and European officials, including the E3 (UK, France, Germany), the European Commission and NATO, had been "constructive" and "productive". The talks focused on ways to "de-escalate and conclude the war with Russia ahead of winter". The next day, 20 people were killed in Russian strikes on Zaporizhzhia, and nearly 80 civilians were killed in attacks earlier that week, according to Al Jazeera.
| Date (2026) | Event |
|---|---|
| February | Last trilateral US–Ukraine–Russia meeting (Geneva) ends without agreement |
| Feb–Aug | US diplomacy stalls as Washington focuses on the Iran war |
| 5–6 September | Witkoff and Jared Kushner visit Moscow, then Kyiv |
| 12 September | Ukrainian officials say Kyiv is preparing for trilateral talks in October |
| Early October | Trump announces the lifting of sanctions on Russian diesel exports |
| 9 October | Witkoff announces "productive" talks with Ukraine and European partners in the US |
| 10 October | Russian strikes on Zaporizhzhia kill 20, including three children |
According to Al Jazeera, the October talks covered:
Kyiv wants a total halt to strikes on energy infrastructure by both sides.
The biggest issue is the fate of the part of the eastern Donbas region still held by Ukraine. Russia claims all of it but has not captured it despite years of heavy fighting. Ukraine has rejected giving up territory it controls.
Ukraine wants firm guarantees that Russia cannot attack again. Russia opposes NATO membership for Ukraine and any Western troop presence.
The US decision to lift sanctions on Russian diesel exports caused friction. President Zelenskyy said Russia had "expressed its thanks" by bombing Zaporizhzhia. EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said: "This is not the time to ease pressure on Russia and Europe won't."
Russia continues large strikes on Ukrainian cities and energy systems. Ukraine has struck Russian oil refineries, which President Trump has criticised.
Diplomatic contacts have resumed. In October 2026, US, Ukrainian and European officials held talks in the US. A direct trilateral meeting with Russia had not been confirmed as of 12 October.
Steve Witkoff has led US efforts, travelling to Moscow and Kyiv with Jared Kushner in September 2026.
The status of the Ukrainian-held part of the Donbas region, along with security guarantees for Ukraine.
The full-scale invasion began on 24 February 2022, so the war is now more than four and a half years old.
Peace efforts have restarted, but the gap between the two sides is still wide, and Russian strikes continue. The coming weeks before winter, with energy infrastructure at stake, will show whether diplomacy can achieve even limited de-escalation.
