Multiple Nations Push New Diplomatic Tracks to Bring Putin and Zelensky to the Table

Since the war began, a range of countries—including Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Switzerland, China, Brazil, India and the United States—have offered mediation or hosted talks, and several are being floated as venues for a possible 2026 summit.

Since the conflict erupted in 2022, a diverse group of states has tried to act as intermediaries between Moscow and Kyiv. Turkey first hosted talks in spring 2022 and later partnered with the UN on the Black Sea grain agreement, repeatedly signalling readiness for new leader-level meetings, including a possible 2026 summit. Saudi Arabia organized a large Ukrainian conference in 2023 with over 40 participants and served as a venue for US-Russia talks in 2025, leveraging its ties to Moscow, Kyiv and Washington.

Switzerland convened a major peace summit in Bürgenstock in June 2024, attended by more than 90 countries, though Russia was absent. China put forward a twelve-point peace plan in 2023, citing its influence over Russia, while Brazil and China jointly explored alternative initiatives. India has kept diplomatic channels open with both sides; Prime Minister Narendra Modi met Putin in Moscow and Zelensky in Kyiv in 2024 and pledged active involvement at the Swiss summit and the 2026 BRICS meeting in New Delhi.

An African delegation visited both capitals in 2023, and the Vatican offered humanitarian mediation. The United States, through the Trump administration, created direct communication lines and continues to present “fair” proposals, with Zelensky saying Washington’s ideas remain on the agenda for a future joint meeting.