David Arakhamia, leader of the "Servant of the People" faction and member of the Ukrainian negotiating team, stated that Russia could return to the negotiating table to end the war as early as October 2026. According to him, the key trigger for resuming dialogue will be the elections to the Russian State Duma, which, according to his data, will take place on September 18–20. The statement was made during the annual YES meeting in Kyiv, organized by the Viktor Pinchuk Foundation, and was broadcast via Interfax-Ukraine and RBC-Ukraine.
"The Tunnel" as a model of systematic negotiations
Arakhamia acknowledged that at the current stage the negotiation process lacks "substantive content." To overcome this barrier, he proposed a concept he called the "tunnel": a systematic, regular format of meetings in one location with the same representatives from both sides. "The only way to build such a 'tunnel' is to establish a systematic, regular negotiation process in one place, with the same people who meet regularly," the MP emphasized. He added that in the initial stage this format may disappoint citizens who suffer daily from Russian attacks, but regularity, in his belief, is the necessary foundation for achieving a real result.
The factor of Russian elections and centralization of power
Referring to the upcoming State Duma elections, Arakhamia stated: "I am almost certain that they will return in early October, after the State Duma elections." Earlier, he also pointed to a structural feature of the Russian political process: unlike democratic Ukraine, in Russia the adoption of key decisions depends entirely on one person — Vladimir Putin. At the same time, according to Arakhamia's assessment, the Russian leader is currently surrounded exclusively by supporters of continuing the war, which makes a change of course an internal rather than an external process.
Energy truce: a US initiative
A separate direction for potential de-escalation could be an energy truce between Ukraine and Russia for the winter period. As a RBC-Ukraine source reported, the result of the work of US mediators Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner could be precisely such a format. The main argument of the US side in promoting this idea was that in previous winters Russia had still failed to achieve its stated goals, despite massive strikes on Ukraine's energy infrastructure.
Context and significance of the statement
Arakhamia's remarks came against the backdrop of ongoing hostilities and regular Russian attacks on Ukrainian territory. His forecast of Moscow's return to negotiations in October, tied to the date of the State Duma elections, reflects Kyiv's attempt to build a long-term diplomatic strategy that does not depend on impulsive decisions by one side. The "tunnel" concept assumes that even in the absence of a quick breakthrough, the very fact of regular contact between permanent delegations creates institutional inertia that over time may transform into concrete agreements.
