Kyiv and Moscow Back Resuming Trilateral Talks With US in November
Ukraine and Russia have both agreed to resume trilateral talks involving the United States, according to a US official cited by Axios, after Steve Witkoff's meetings in Oslo and St. Petersburg on October 20–21.
The official said Witkoff and Jared Kushner proposed a technical-level meeting between the US, Russia and Ukraine. “The Ukrainians backed this proposal in Oslo yesterday, and the Russians did so today in St. Petersburg,” the official said.
Moscow: talks possible in mid-November
After meeting Witkoff, Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov told Russian journalists that Vladimir Putin had agreed to hold trilateral talks in November. Russia is, in principle, ready to resume them in the second ten days of November, he said, and the subject would be building a security system for Russia and Ukraine after the conflict ends. Ushakov added that the talks could take place in Abu Dhabi.
Ushakov also claimed that Putin had been ready to resume the talks several weeks earlier, but that Ukrainian strikes on Russia on the day of the parliamentary elections led to their cancellation. He said Witkoff briefed Putin on the Oslo talks, which in Ushakov's words “produced nothing substantial for resolving the Ukrainian crisis.”
Witkoff: discussions “constructive”
In a post on X, Witkoff said he met Putin in St. Petersburg to “build on the progress made in Oslo with President Zelensky” and to discuss a framework for a peace settlement. He also recalled the release of US citizen Stephen Hubbard, who had been detained in Russia. The talks were “constructive,” Witkoff wrote, and “will continue in the format of trilateral negotiations between the US, Russia and Ukraine at the technical level.” He added that Donald Trump remains committed to ending the war and reaching a comprehensive, lasting peace.
Zelensky: a meeting as early as possible
Volodymyr Zelensky said in an online briefing for media that, based on feedback from the US side, Russia supports a trilateral meeting at the level of the teams. “The American side proposes to do this as soon as possible, and we support it. I don’t know the final dates,” he said. According to Zelensky, the agenda is to end the war, bring peace closer and prepare everything for a meeting at the leaders’ level. He said Ukraine had discussed the meeting with American partners and expected it to happen no later than the beginning of November, adding that “not everything depends on us.”
For earlier developments, see our report Putin Tells Witkoff Russia Ready to Resume Trilateral Talks in November.