Putin Agrees to Resume Three-Way Peace Talks With Ukraine and US

Russian President Vladimir Putin has agreed in principle to resume trilateral peace negotiations with Ukraine and the United States, raising hopes for renewed diplomatic efforts to end the war that has continued for more than four years.

The Kremlin said Putin was prepared to restart negotiations after November 10, following a meeting with US special envoy Steve Witkoff in St Petersburg on Wednesday, October 21.

Putin’s foreign policy adviser, Yuri Ushakov, said the proposed talks could take place in Abu Dhabi and would focus on establishing post-war security arrangements for Russia and Ukraine.

The meeting between Putin and Witkoff lasted approximately three hours. US President Donald Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner, also participated in the discussions remotely.

The meeting followed diplomatic engagements in Oslo, Norway, where Witkoff held discussions with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and European leaders on possible ways to advance a settlement.

Witkoff described the discussions as constructive and said proposals had been presented to Putin outlining possible approaches to ending the conflict.

However, Ushakov indicated that Moscow was not fully satisfied with the proposals discussed during the Oslo meetings, arguing that they offered limited practical value for resolving the crisis.

The proposed negotiations would mark a renewed attempt to bring the three countries together after earlier rounds of talks held in Abu Dhabi and Geneva produced little progress beyond prisoner exchanges. Russia and Ukraine remain divided over territorial control, security guarantees and the conditions required for a ceasefire.

Zelenskyy has maintained that freezing the fighting would be a necessary first step towards ending the war. He has also stressed that Ukraine’s future cannot be determined without its participation in negotiations.

Trump, meanwhile, has continued to press Kyiv to reach an agreement with Moscow, intensifying pressure on Ukraine to consider compromises even as fighting and long-range attacks continue.

The renewed diplomatic initiative comes against a backdrop of continued military operations. Ukrainian officials reported casualties from Russian attacks on Kyiv and other areas, while Moscow also reported intercepting Ukrainian drones over Russian territory.

Russia’s agreement to resume talks does not yet represent a ceasefire or a final peace agreement. The timing, format and substance of the proposed negotiations remain subject to further discussions, and major disagreements between Moscow and Kyiv have yet to be resolved.

The planned talks could nevertheless provide another opportunity for the United States, Russia and Ukraine to explore possible terms for ending the conflict, although previous negotiations have struggled to bridge the parties’ competing demands.