Russia is prepared to resume talks with the United States and Ukraine in November, according to a senior Kremlin aide. The statement followed a meeting between President Vladimir Putin and U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff in St. Petersburg on Wednesday, October 21.
Yuri Ushakov, the aide, told reporters that Putin was “in principle” ready to restart three-way negotiations. He said the talks could take place in Abu Dhabi and asserted that the conflict in Ukraine was nearing an end. No agreed date, venue or negotiating framework was announced.
Witkoff said on X that the United States, Russia and Ukraine would continue discussions at the technical level. His meeting with Putin followed a Tuesday meeting in Oslo with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. After that meeting, Witkoff proposed negotiations involving the three countries’ leaders. The plan for technical talks does not establish that a leaders’ meeting has been scheduled.
Washington has made several efforts to negotiate with Moscow since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. According to the report, the most recent discussions stalled in February amid a U.S.-Israeli war with Iran. Earlier rounds did not produce a broader agreement to halt fighting, arrange prisoner-of-war exchanges or establish a truce covering attacks on energy infrastructure.
The Wall Street Journal reported earlier this week that Moscow had raised the possibility of a summit involving China and the United States to discuss a settlement. That proposal is separate from the three-way talks described by Ushakov and Witkoff.
Footage released Wednesday also showed Witkoff praising Putin during their meeting, after Russia released an American prisoner. Officials have described possible next steps, but the reported statements do not indicate that the parties have agreed on how to resolve the war. Ukraine’s position on the proposed November talks was not detailed in the account, and no schedule for further meetings was confirmed by the three governments.