Putin open to resuming Ukraine peace talks after meeting with Trump envoy

Russian President Vladimir Putin has agreed in principle to resume trilateral peace talks with Ukraine and the United States, potentially around November 10, after meeting US envoy Steve Witkoff on Wednesday, the Kremlin said.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has agreed in principle to resume trilateral peace talks with Ukraine and the United States, potentially around November 10, after meeting US envoy Steve Witkoff on Wednesday, the Kremlin said.

The nearly three-hour meeting focused on efforts to end Russia’s war in Ukraine. Kremlin foreign policy adviser Yury Ushakov said the proposed talks could take place in Abu Dhabi and would focus on establishing a post-war security framework for Russia and Ukraine.

Witkoff had met Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and European officials in Oslo on Tuesday before travelling to Russia. Ushakov said Witkoff briefed Putin on those discussions, but Moscow considered the proposals to contain little useful substance.

“These nuances, so to speak, do not entirely satisfy us,” Ushakov told reporters after the meeting.

No breakthrough was announced on the key issues dividing Moscow and Kyiv, including territorial control and Ukraine’s future security arrangements. Russia continues to demand control over the eastern Donetsk region and opposes Ukraine joining NATO.

The meeting also covered broader US-Russia relations. Putin discussed restoring economic ties and the implementation of an arrangement involving Russian diesel supplies to international markets. The two sides also discussed the possibility of Russia helping to find a diplomatic solution to the US-Iran crisis, Ushakov said.

Putin also raised the possibility of meeting US President Donald Trump in China in November, according to reports of the talks.

During Witkoff’s visit, Russia released Stephen Hubbard, a 74-year-old US citizen who had been imprisoned since 2022 after being convicted of mercenary activity. Hubbard, a retired teacher from Michigan, was taken to St Petersburg’s Pulkovo airport following his release.

The Kremlin said Putin had ordered Hubbard’s release at Trump’s request. The American had denied taking part in combat, according to his lawyer.