The United States must stop providing aid to Kyiv to help end Russia’s war against Ukraine, Kremlin advisor Yuri Ushakov said on the Russian state broadcaster VGTRK on September 9. The comment came the day after a phone call between Russian President Vladimir Putin and U.S. President Donald Trump, amid intensified Washington efforts to revive peace talks.
“First of all… they must stop providing any aid to Kyiv,” Yuri Ushakov added, noting that during the call Vladimir Putin outlined possible steps the United States could take to end the war. While the United States has halted direct financial and military assistance to Ukraine, Kyiv’s allies can still acquire American weapons for Ukraine through NATO mechanisms. Washington also continues to share intelligence with Kyiv, enabling Ukrainian forces to strike targets inside Russian territory.
Diplomatic efforts and the negotiation process
Over the weekend, Trump envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner visited Moscow and, for the first time, Kyiv as part of an attempt to break the deadlock in peace negotiations. According to individuals familiar with the discussions who spoke to the Kyiv Independent, the envoys presented updated peace proposals, but no breakthrough was achieved because Vladimir Putin appears intent on continuing the war.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy told reporters after the meeting in Kyiv that he expects the conflict to continue through the winter months, despite the new peace initiatives.
The most tangible outcome of the trip was an agreement among Ukraine, the US, and Russia to resume trilateral talks. Earlier rounds of such negotiations did not produce major political gains, but they did lead to important humanitarian measures, including prisoner‑of‑war exchanges.
Yuri Ushakov said the Kremlin remains open to continuing negotiations in a US‑Russia‑Ukraine format in the United Arab Emirates. Moscow views Abu Dhabi, where several rounds of talks were held earlier this year, as the preferred venue.
On September 5, Vladimir Putin told the American envoys that he expects Russia to achieve its “goals” and seeks to address the “root causes” of the war. The Kremlin has repeatedly rejected a ceasefire, demanding that Kyiv cede the partially occupied and strategically important Donbas region in eastern Ukraine.
In contrast, Ukraine is calling for a ceasefire along the current front line, emphasizing the need for Western security guarantees that would help deter any future Russian aggression.
Source: Kyiv Independent
