Moscow says progress is theoretically possible as US envoy Steve Witkoff meets Vladimir Putin in St. Petersburg.
Russian officials said Wednesday that progress toward a negotiated end to the war in Ukraine is theoretically possible, and top aide Yuri Ushakov stated that Moscow is ready in principle to restart three-way discussions with Washington and Kyiv after United States special envoy Steve Witkoff met Russian President Vladimir Putin in St. Petersburg.
The St. Petersburg meeting followed earlier diplomatic movement in northern Europe, where Witkoff held talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy before travelling on to Russia. An unnamed U.S. official told BBC News that Witkoff and Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner proposed a trilateral meeting at the technical level, adding, “This was accepted by the Ukrainians in Oslo yesterday and by the Russians in St Petersburg today.”
Diplomatic signals in St. Petersburg
Russian state media reported that Kremlin representatives warned that any breakthrough requires Ukrainian leaders to take necessary decisions, cautioning that conditions for Ukraine would worsen if it does not, according to CBS News. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Moscow would review the Ukraine proposals Witkoff brought to St. Petersburg, while noting that negotiations would take a long time.
Ushakov said a fresh round of discussions could take place around Nov. 10 in Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates. He insisted the dialogue must concentrate on establishing a post-conflict security framework for both Russia and Ukraine. Ushakov also said Putin told Witkoff that Russian forces hold the strategic initiative and are advancing across the front line. Ukrainian officials and European allies contest that claim, pointing to an effective stalemate on the battlefield.
During the meeting, officials also confirmed the release of Stephen Hubbard, an American citizen imprisoned in Russia for more than four years. Trump said Putin agreed to release Hubbard without an exchange, adding that the release would not have happened if Washington had not blocked new sanctions against Moscow the previous week.
Kyiv pushes for direct trilateral format
Zelenskyy told Fox News that a three-way summit between himself, Trump and Putin offered the best route to settle the war. He rejected proposals for an arrangement decided between China, Russia and the U.S., telling the network, “Don’t talk about us without us.” Zelenskyy added that any negotiated settlement must win the approval of Ukraine’s parliament.
Russian officials told Witkoff that a summit involving Trump, Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping remained possible. Russian officials had stated before the St. Petersburg meeting that their core demands had not shifted, and Ushakov dismissed ideas from European leaders in Oslo as not very useful.
The meetings follow rising tension between Washington and Kyiv, during which Trump has stepped up his criticism of Zelenskyy, suggesting Ukraine needs a new leader and should select someone else to conduct negotiations. Trump has also blamed Ukrainian strikes on Russian oil refineries for rising fuel prices linked to the U.S.-led war on Iran.
Intelligence sharing and next steps
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Witkoff had positive discussions with Zelenskyy in Oslo on Tuesday before presenting those ideas to the Russian side. After that meeting, Zelenskyy thanked the U.S. for restoring intelligence warnings on incoming Russian ballistic missile strikes, though he noted that access to Elon Musk’s Starshield satellite network remained limited while Rubio works to restore full service.
Witkoff is scheduled to return to Norway for further talks with European leaders, according to Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre, who said Wednesday that Moscow may be seeking openings for diplomacy.
Trilateral peace talks have been suspended since February, after Russia halted discussions following Ukrainian strikes during Russian general elections. Meanwhile, Russian state media reported that the first shipment of diesel had departed for the U.S. on Wednesday under an Oct. 10 agreement between Washington and Moscow.
