Putin Agrees to Three-Way Ukraine Talks with Washington and Kyiv

Moscow has agreed to resume negotiations with Washington and Kyiv aimed at resolving the war in Ukraine, a move that could launch the first three-way talks since February. According to Yuri Ushakov, an adviser to Russian President Vladimir Putin, the Kremlin leader gave his agreement 'in principle' to restart the discussions after November 10. The planned sessions are intended to focus on constructing a security system for both Russia and Ukraine once the conflict concludes.

The agreement came following a meeting in St. Petersburg between Putin and U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff. Ushakov confirmed that the conversation lasted approximately three hours. The discussion took place as President Donald Trump continues to press Kyiv for a settlement that would halt the fighting.

Witkoff’s engagement in St. Petersburg followed a meeting in Oslo with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and several European leaders. Zelenskyy has stated his support for Washington's push to restart talks quickly. In an audio message issued late Wednesday, he outlined the objectives of the gathering.

'The agenda is clear: to end the war, bring peace closer, and, as I understand it, prepare everything for a meeting at the leaders’ level,' Zelenskyy said.

The history of these negotiations involves a series of previous attempts that have not resulted in a settlement. Representatives from all three nations held three rounds of talks earlier this year, with meetings in Abu Dhabi during January and February, followed by discussions in Geneva in February. No major progress was achieved during those sessions beyond prisoner exchanges, as both sides maintained their long-standing demands.

During the recent meeting at St. Petersburg’s Constantine Palace, Ushakov and Russian presidential envoy Kirill Dmitriev were present alongside Putin and Witkoff. Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner, participated in the conversation via video link. According to a U.S. official familiar with the private meeting, Witkoff and Kushner proposed a three-way meeting at the technical level and shared updates on their talks with Zelenskyy. The officials also reviewed plans for the upcoming meeting, European security, and a postwar economic plan.

Ushakov characterized the proposals coming out of the Oslo meeting as containing 'little of real value in the context of resolving the Ukrainian crisis.' However, he later told Russian state TV that while Moscow isn't 'fully satisfied' with the Oslo proposals, they represent a step in the right direction.

Efforts by the current administration to end the war have not made significant progress in recent months. Norway’s Prime Minister, Jonas Gahr Støre, met with Witkoff following the envoy's trip to Russia. Støre told a broadcaster he believes a shift in diplomatic posture is occurring.

'I think we may have entered a phase now where the Russians are also looking for opportunities for diplomacy,' Støre told the broadcaster.

On Tuesday, President Trump increased pressure on Zelenskyy to reach an agreement, telling reporters in the Oval Office, 'We want Zelenskyy to make a deal.' He added, 'We’ve given a lot to Ukraine. We’ve gotten absolutely nothing back except grief, death, tremendous monetary loss.' Amid these developments, reports of violence continue. Overnight attacks in Kyiv resulted in three deaths and twelve injuries, while drone explosions near Kharkiv killed two people and wounded eleven others.

The Russian Defense Ministry reported that its air defenses intercepted 373 Ukrainian drones over various Russian regions overnight, as well as over Crimea and the Black Sea.