Putin Agrees To Resume Talks With U.S., Ukraine To End War
Putin Agrees To Resume Talks With U.S., Ukraine To End War
The official said Ukrainian representatives accepted the proposal in Oslo, while Russian officials agreed to it during Wednesday’s meeting in St Petersburg.
Russia has accepted a United States proposal for a new round of trilateral talks with Ukraine to end the war, with negotiators considering a meeting in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, around November 10, 2026.
Yuri Ushakov, an aide to Russian President Vladimir Putin, confirmed Moscow’s position after Putin met US President Donald Trump’s special envoy, Steve Witkoff, in St Petersburg on Wednesday. Ushakov said Russia was “ready in principle” to resume negotiations, which were suspended in February.
According to the BBC, a US official said Witkoff and Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner, proposed a technical-level meeting involving Russia, Ukraine and the United States during discussions in Oslo, Norway, on Tuesday.
The official said Ukrainian representatives accepted the proposal in Oslo, while Russian officials agreed to it during Wednesday’s meeting in St Petersburg.
Ushakov suggested that the next round of talks could take place around November 10 in Abu Dhabi. He said discussions should focus on “building a security system for Russia and Ukraine after the end of the conflict,” indicating that post-war security arrangements would be central to Moscow’s position.
Witkoff travelled to Russia after meeting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and the leaders of Norway and Finland in Oslo on Monday. Ushakov criticised the proposals presented during those discussions, describing the ideas as not very “useful”.
The latest diplomatic contacts follow months of stalled negotiations between the three countries. Russia, Ukraine and the United States had previously held several rounds of talks aimed at ending the conflict, which began in February 2022 when Putin launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
The Kremlin blamed the suspension of negotiations on what it described as massive Ukrainian strikes against Russia during the country’s general elections last month. Ukraine and its European allies have continued to press Moscow to return to the negotiating table, while Russia has maintained that it holds the advantage on the battlefield.
Ushakov said Putin told Witkoff that Russian troops were advancing along the front line and retained the “strategic initiative”. Ukraine and its European allies have disputed that assessment, pointing to what they describe as a near-stalemate in the fighting.
The proposed negotiations come amid tensions between Washington and Kyiv over the handling of the war. Trump has called for a change in Ukraine’s leadership and recently suggested that someone else should negotiate on the country’s behalf. He has also blamed Ukrainian attacks on Russian oil refineries for contributing to rising fuel prices in the United States.
European leaders have expressed concern over recent US statements concerning Russia, as Washington continues its diplomatic engagement with Moscow and Kyiv.
