Putin backs new Ukraine peace talks with US and Kyiv

Residents in Ukraine and the United States gained a fresh window of hope on Wednesday as Russia agreed to restart direct negotiations with Washington and Kyiv. The Kremlin stated that President Vladimir Putin consented in principle to hold these talks after November 10. This move sets the stage for the first three-way discussions since February, offering a potential path to end the conflict that has persisted for more than four and a half years.

Yuri Ushakov, Putin’s foreign affairs adviser, announced the decision after a three-hour meeting in St. Petersburg. The session brought together the Russian leader and U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff at the Constantine Palace. Ushakov noted that the primary objective of the upcoming talks is to build a security framework for both Russia and Ukraine once the fighting stops.

The diplomatic push comes amid intensified efforts by President Donald Trump to secure a deal. Trump has recently pressed Kyiv to compromise, telling reporters in the Oval Office that the United States wants Zelenskyy to make a deal. He expressed frustration, stating that the U.S. has provided substantial support to Ukraine but received little in return except grief and monetary loss. Trump warned that a failure to reach an agreement could lead to negative consequences.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy voiced support for the rapid restart of talks. In an audio message issued late Wednesday, Zelenskyy said the agenda is clear: end the war and prepare for a meeting between the leaders. He acknowledged that Russia had previously expressed readiness to meet but that plans had been canceled in the past. He added that time will tell whether this attempt succeeds.

The St. Petersburg meeting occurred one day after Witkoff met with Zelenskyy and European leaders in Oslo, Norway. Ushakov criticized the proposals from the Oslo session, claiming they contained little of real value for resolving the 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. Jared Kushner, Trump’s son-in-law, joined the St. Petersburg discussion via video link.

During the meeting, Witkoff and Kushner proposed a technical level meeting involving the U.S., Russia, and Ukraine. They also shared progress from their previous talks with Zelenskyy and discussed a postwar economic plan. Ushakov said that large-scale joint economic projects between Russia and the U.S. were discussed in detail, with some nearing the implementation stage. Putin indicated he was ready to consider restoring economic ties with the United States and discussing the conflict in Iran.

In a separate development, Russia released Stephen Hubbard, a retired American teacher imprisoned on mercenary charges. Witkoff described the release as a goodwill gesture after Trump asked Putin to free him. Additionally, Putin met with Chinese Premier Li Qiang in St. Petersburg. The two leaders discussed a possible trilateral meeting at an economic summit in China next month, with Beijing already preparing for the event.

Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre suggested that a new phase of diplomacy may have begun. He told local broadcasters that the new talks are likely to occur in mid-November. Støre noted that while Ukraine may not formally accept a border along the current front line, the issue of living with that reality remains a point of discussion. Meanwhile, Russian attacks continued to affect daily life in Kyiv, with recent strikes killing five people and wounding at least 23 others.

The next steps involve scheduling the technical talks for next month. Diplomats from the three nations will begin preparations for the session. The outcome of these negotiations will determine whether the conflict moves closer to a ceasefire or if the stalemate continues. Observers will watch closely to see if the recent diplomatic momentum translates into tangible progress on the ground.