Russia Greenlights Resumption of Trilateral Peace Talks with US, Ukraine

Moscow has signaled its readiness to restart peace negotiations involving the United States and Ukraine next month.

Kremlin spokesman Yuri Ushakov announced that Russian President Vladimir Putin agreed "in principle" to resume three-way talks after November 10. The agreement came following a meeting in St. Petersburg between Putin and U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff. The discussions are intended to address the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.

According to Ushakov, the proposed agenda will center on "building a security system for Russia and Ukraine after the conflict ends." The meeting at the Constantine Palace lasted approximately three hours and included Russian presidential envoy Kirill Dmitriev. U.S. President Donald Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner, also participated in the conversation via video link.

During the St. Petersburg session, U.S. representatives proposed convening a technical-level meeting among the three nations. A U.S. official, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss private discussions, stated that Witkoff and Kushner also addressed post-war economic planning and European security. Ushakov noted that large-scale joint economic projects were discussed in detail, with some nearing the implementation stage.

The meeting followed a gathering in Oslo the previous day where Witkoff met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and European leaders. Ushakov remarked that proposals from the Oslo meeting "contained little of real value in the context of resolving the Ukrainian crisis." However, he later told Russian state television that while Moscow is not "fully satisfied" with those proposals, they represent a step in the right direction.

Zelenskyy expressed support for the push from Washington to restart negotiations swiftly. "The agenda is clear: to end the war, bring peace closer, and, as I understand it, prepare everything for a meeting at the leaders’ level," Zelenskyy said in an audio message. He added that Russia has previously indicated readiness to meet, but actions were sometimes canceled, stating, "We’ll see what happens this time."

During televised remarks in St. Petersburg, Putin indicated he was prepared to consider restoring U.S.-Russia economic ties. He also stated Russia is willing to discuss the U.S.-led conflict with Iran, offering to use relations with Tehran to facilitate peace. The Kremlin has cultivated ties with China; Putin and Chinese Premier Li Qiang met Wednesday, and the leaders discussed a potential meeting next month in China involving leaders from Russia, China, and the U.S.

Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre suggested that a "new phase" in diplomacy might be underway, stating, "I think we may have entered a phase now where the Russians are also looking for opportunities for diplomacy." He indicated that new talks were likely to occur mid-November. Regarding potential border adjustments, Støre noted, "I don't think Ukraine will ever formally accept it and say that this is the new border. But whether they can live with it is another matter."

The announcement of talks comes as the conflict continues. Overnight Russian attacks in Kyiv resulted in three deaths and twelve injuries, while energy facilities were targeted in four cities. In other developments, Russia released a retired American teacher, Stephen Hubbard, whom U.S. envoy Witkoff described as a goodwill gesture following a request from President Trump.

Trump has increased pressure on Zelenskyy to reach an agreement with Russia. "We want Zelenskyy to make a deal," Trump told reporters. "We’ve given a lot to Ukraine. We’ve gotten absolutely nothing back except grief, death, tremendous monetary loss." Trump warned that failure to reach a deal would be "a very bad thing."