Putin agrees in principle to Russia-Ukraine-US talks after Nov. 10
The Kremlin says Putin accepted renewed technical talks with Kyiv and Washington, though Moscow remains dissatisfied with recent proposals.
By Hana Yoshida · Markets Reporter
3 min read
Russian President Vladimir Putin has agreed in principle to resume three-way talks with Ukraine and the United States after Nov. 10, according to Kremlin foreign-policy adviser Yuri Ushakov. The proposed Putin Ukraine talks November process would reopen a diplomatic channel, but it does not establish a ceasefire or agreement on the terms of a settlement.
Ushakov made the statement after Putin met U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff in St. Petersburg on Wednesday. The Kremlin said the meeting lasted about three hours, Fortune reported.
When could Russia, Ukraine and the US hold talks?
Ushakov said the discussions could resume after Nov. 10. Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre told broadcaster NRK that he expected the talks to take place in mid-November, while cautioning only that Russia appeared to be seeking diplomatic opportunities.
The prospective negotiations would involve technical-level representatives from Russia, Ukraine and the United States. Their stated aim would be to build a security arrangement for Russia and Ukraine after the war ends, Ushakov said.
A U.S. official familiar with the private Putin-Witkoff meeting said Witkoff and Jared Kushner proposed the three-way technical meeting. The official, who was not named because the discussion was private, said they also addressed a postwar economic plan, European security and preparations for a future meeting.
What did Russia say about the latest proposals?
Ushakov said proposals discussed at a meeting in Oslo had little value for resolving the war. He later said Moscow was not fully satisfied with them but viewed them as a move in the right direction.
The evidence does not specify the proposals’ contents or show that the sides have agreed on borders, security guarantees, a ceasefire or any final peace terms. The Canadian Press reported that Russia and Ukraine remained far apart over a settlement and that there was no indication of an imminent breakthrough.
Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said Russia must at least freeze the conflict to help end the war. In a Fox News interview broadcast Wednesday, he described such a freeze as the practical route to ending the fighting.
What happened in the previous rounds?
Russia, Ukraine and the United States held three rounds of talks earlier this year: two sessions in Abu Dhabi in January and February, followed by a Geneva meeting in February, according to Ushakov. Reported progress was largely limited to prisoner-of-war exchanges as Moscow and Kyiv held to their established demands.
Fighting has continued alongside the diplomatic contacts, with both sides carrying out daily long-range strikes, according to Fortune. The planned talks would therefore mark a return to negotiations, rather than evidence that the war’s central disputes have been resolved.
This story draws on original reporting from Fortune.