Kremlin Expresses Readiness for Trilateral Talks Next Month on Ukraine War

The Kremlin announced on Wednesday that Moscow is ready to resume tripartite negotiations with Washington and Kyiv in mid-November, while renewing its call for Kyiv to halt hostilities to facilitate talks, following a meeting between President Vladimir Putin and US envoy Steve Witkoff in St. Petersburg.

Russian presidential aide Yuri Ushakov told journalists that Witkoff held talks with Putin lasting about three hours during a “detailed and frank” meeting.

He added that “Steve Witkoff briefed Vladimir Putin on the substance of the talks he held on Tuesday in Oslo with Ukrainian and European officials.”

Referring to the fact that the positions of both sides remain far apart, Ushakov said the US envoy “spoke about some new aspects in the European and Kyiv approach, but in reality, it lacks substance.”

However, he clarified that Putin informed Witkoff that Russia is “in principle ready to resume negotiations around November 10” with Kyiv and Washington, i.e., after the US midterm congressional elections.

He noted that these talks should focus on “establishing a security architecture... after the end of the conflict.”

For his part, Witkoff said the talks with Putin were “constructive and will continue with tripartite talks between the United States, Russia, and Ukraine at the technical level,” adding that “important work” still remains to be done.

US envoy Jared Kushner participated remotely in the talks held in St. Petersburg between Putin and Witkoff.

The last round of negotiations held in February yielded no diplomatic progress, while they were suspended after the outbreak of the war in the Middle East with a US-Israeli attack on Iran on the 28th of that month.

On the other hand, Yuri Ushakov pointed to the possibility of a meeting between the Russian president and his American counterpart Donald Trump and Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the APEC summit in Shenzhen in November.

Earlier on Wednesday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, in an interview with Fox News, called for freezing the front lines in the war with Russia, considering it a first step toward ceasefire talks.

Moscow had previously rejected this proposal, demanding a settlement on the core issues before halting hostilities.

Russia is particularly demanding the withdrawal of the Ukrainian army from territories it occupies in the Donetsk region (east), which Kyiv considers unacceptable.

At the beginning of the meeting, Witkoff said he arrived bearing “ideas” regarding a “peace agreement” in Ukraine, nearly five years after the conflict erupted in early 2022 with a large-scale Russian attack on Ukraine.

He added, “We brought some documents, which are in fact some ideas regarding the different elements of a type of peace agreement between Russia and Ukraine, and you can read them when it suits you.”

On the sidelines of the meeting, Russia announced the release of an American who was sentenced in 2024 to seven years in prison for “fighting as a mercenary” on behalf of Ukraine, a charge he denies.

Trump, who had previously announced that he had asked his Russian counterpart to release the retired teacher, said on Wednesday that Steven Hubbard is “on his way” to the United States and that he was released without a “quid pro quo.”

Trump thanked his Russian counterpart for releasing the American citizen, stating, “I was talking in the past few days with Vladimir Putin about settling his war with Ukraine, an issue I believe we are approaching a solution to, and perhaps we are closer now than ever before.”

Additionally, Putin announced that the first tanker carrying 40,000 tons of Russian diesel to the United States would set sail within “two to three days.” Meanwhile, Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak, who is in charge of energy affairs, indicated that it would depart today, Thursday.

Trump had announced in early October an agreement between Washington and Moscow to supply Russian diesel to the American market, thereby lifting sanctions imposed on Russia, a move that drew strong criticism from Kyiv and its allies.

This step was seen as an attempt to lower fuel prices for American consumers ahead of the midterm elections on November 3, which are expected to pose significant challenges for Trump’s Republican Party.