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Russia said Wednesday it was ready to resume trilateral talks with Ukraine and the United States in mid-November, following a meeting between President Vladimir Putin and US envoy Steve Witkoff, but played down the prospects of a breakthrough to end the war.
US President Donald Trump described the latest diplomatic efforts as the closest yet to ending the conflict, while the Kremlin said proposals from Ukraine and European countries lacked sufficient substance.
Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov said Moscow was, in principle, prepared to restart trilateral negotiations after the crucial US midterm elections. He said the talks should focus on security arrangements following the war.
Witkoff met Putin in Saint Petersburg after holding discussions with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Oslo on Tuesday. Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner also participated remotely in the meeting with Putin.
Ushakov said Witkoff briefed the Russian president on developments in the positions of Kyiv and European governments but added that the proposals offered little substantive progress.
Following their three-hour meeting, Witkoff praised Putin for releasing Stephen Hubbard, a retired American teacher in his 70s who had denied Russian allegations that he fought as a mercenary for Ukraine.
Calling Putin a humanitarian, Witkoff thanked him for granting Trump’s request to free the detained American.
Witkoff later described the discussions as constructive but said significant work remained. He added that technical-level discussions among the United States, Russia and Ukraine would continue.
Zelensky said Kyiv supported resuming trilateral negotiations as soon as possible, adding that Washington had proposed organising another meeting.
Despite the diplomatic activity, major obstacles remain. Putin has repeatedly rejected direct talks with Zelensky and maintained Russia’s territorial demands in eastern Ukraine.
Trump, who returned to office in January 2025 promising to end the war quickly, has yet to secure a breakthrough despite more than a year of US-led diplomatic efforts.
The latest discussions also come amid disagreements over Washington’s approach to Moscow. Trump defended delaying sanctions targeting Russia’s war effort, saying the decision had helped secure Hubbard’s release.
Witkoff also expressed US gratitude for a reported Russian diesel supply arrangement intended to ease fuel prices, a move that has drawn criticism in Kyiv and parts of Europe.
Meanwhile, fighting continued across Ukraine. Ukrainian authorities said Russian strikes killed at least four people, including two in Kyiv and an elderly couple in the eastern Kharkiv region. Russian occupation authorities in the Luhansk region, meanwhile, said a Ukrainian drone strike on a telephone company killed two people.
The Kremlin also said preparations were under way for a possible summit involving Putin, Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping in Shenzhen next month.
With continued fighting and deep disagreements over territory and post-war security, it remains uncertain whether the planned negotiations can produce a lasting settlement.
