Putin Agrees to Resume Ukraine Negotiations After 'Halfway' Mark
Russian President Vladimir Putin has agreed to resume trilateral talks with Washington and Kyiv to end the war in Ukraine after November 10, amid intensive diplomatic efforts including prisoner exchanges and discussions on security and the economy.
Translated by Qiyas from الجريدة — Original source
Yuri Ushakov, an advisor to Russian President Vladimir Putin on foreign affairs, announced that Putin agreed today to resume trilateral talks with Washington and Kyiv on ending the war in Ukraine after November 10, following the US midterm congressional elections, as US President Donald Trump seeks a political achievement before the vote.
Following a meeting of more than three hours in St. Petersburg between Putin and the US presidential envoy, Steve Witkoff, Ushakov said Putin agreed “in principle” to resume trilateral talks, adding that negotiations would focus on “establishing a security system for Russia and Ukraine after the conflict ends.”
Direct talks between Russia and Ukraine, sponsored by the United States, took place in 2025 but yielded no results, as Kyiv and Moscow maintained their positions, and these negotiations have been stalled since the beginning of the year.
Witkoff said at the outset of the meeting that he arrived bearing “ideas” regarding a “peace agreement” in Ukraine, but Ushakov noted after the meeting that the Ukrainian and European ideas presented by the US envoy “lack substance.”
The US envoy pointed out that economic cooperation between Moscow and Washington reflects “the potential available to us in the future.” Putin stated that the first tanker carrying 40,000 tons of Russian diesel to the United States would set sail within “two to three days.” He also pledged to increase fertilizer shipments to the US.
On another note, Putin’s aide indicated the possibility of a meeting between the Russian president and his US and Chinese counterparts, Xi Jinping, on the sidelines of the APEC summit in Shenzhen in November.
Ushakov said: “This idea has not been rejected by Moscow, Washington, or Beijing. Our Chinese friends, who are hosting the APEC summit, are handling its preparation.”
After the meeting, Putin announced the release of American Steven Hubbard (74), transferring him to Pulkovo Airport in St. Petersburg. Hubbard, a retired teacher, had been detained in Russia since 2022.
Trump stated that Hubbard was “on his way” to the United States and that he was released without a “quid pro quo.”
Witkoff had met yesterday with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and several European leaders in Oslo, the Norwegian capital. Zelenskyy called today for a freeze on the front lines, considering it the minimum required to negotiate an end to the war.
Following his talks with Witkoff in Oslo, Zelenskyy thanked Washington for resuming the supply of intelligence information regarding Russian strikes. In response, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio denied today that the administration had prior knowledge of the slowdown in communications via SpaceX satellites. He added during a visit to India, “The President has no connection with the decisions made by Starlink, Starshield, and Mr. Elon Musk.”
Ukraine also reported a slowdown in communications via the “Starshield” system, which it relies on for its military operations against Russia. Starshield is a specialized military version of the “Starlink” satellite internet system operated by Musk’s SpaceX.
