US, Russia confirm Trump's latest Ukraine peace push is falling apart

Editor's note: This story has been updated to include President Volodymyr Zelensky's remarks.

Ending Russia's war against Ukraine through negotiations is currently unattainable, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio told Greek media outlet Kathimerini on Oct. 8, casting further doubt on President Donald Trump's latest push to broker peace.

The comments confirm earlier Kyiv Independent reporting that Washington's latest effort to advance negotiations faces growing uncertainty.

At this point, there appears to be no prospect of a negotiated settlement, Rubio said. He added that the goal remains out of reach because Russia insists on gaining full control over Ukraine's Donetsk Oblast without fighting, a demand Kyiv has rejected.

The latest rounds of peace negotiations have also stalled over Moscow's territorial demands.

The Kremlin has repeatedly rejected a ceasefire and demanded that Kyiv surrender the partially occupied Donbas, a strategically important region in eastern Ukraine. Moscow is effectively seeking territory that Russian forces have failed to capture militarily.

Ukraine has instead called for a ceasefire along the current front line.

The diplomatic effort now faces another obstacle: Moscow has given little indication that it intends to take part in further talks. Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov said on Oct. 7 that there were currently no plans for U.S.-mediated talks between Russia and Ukraine.

"There are currently no plans to hold talks in this format," Ryabkov told reporters.

The latest effort began in early September, when Trump's envoys traveled to Kyiv and Moscow seeking progress before the U.S. midterm elections. The trips produced one tangible outcome: an agreement in principle to hold a trilateral meeting between Ukraine, Russia, and the U.S.

A month later, however, even the trilateral meeting remains uncertain.

President Volodymyr Zelensky said Oct. 8 that Ukrainian negotiators will meet with Trump's envoys in the U.S. later this week to discuss the prospects for peace talks with Russia.

"You can't, on the one hand, negotiate with Russia about future economic projects, and on the other, talk about a diplomatic impasse," the Ukrainian president responded to Rubio.

"We are not in a diplomatic impasse. Shut down (Russia's) entire economy. Silence Russia. Don't feed them with your sales; impose sanctions on their weapons," he added.