Russian President Vladimir Putin has told President Donald Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff that Moscow is willing in principle to resume trilateral talks with Ukraine and the United States next month to end the conflict, Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov said on Wednesday.
The talks between Putin and Witkoff, who was on his ninth visit to Russia, took place in St Petersburg and lasted almost three hours.
“Our president informed Steve Witkoff that we are, in principle, ready to resume the aforementioned trilateral negotiations on the main topic on the tenth of November. The American representative noted that such a decision would undoubtedly be met with great satisfaction by President Trump,” Ushakov added.
No such peace talks to end the over four-year war have taken place since February.
The Kremlin said the proposed new round of negotiations could focus on establishing a security system for Russia and Ukraine after the conflict ends.
Witkoff briefed Putin on his meetings in Oslo
Ushakov said Witkoff briefed Putin on his meetings in Oslo on Tuesday, where the American envoy met Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, the Norwegian prime minister and the Finnish president.
According to Ushakov, Witkoff highlighted some new approaches in the positions of European countries and Kyiv.
The Kremlin aide said a new round of trilateral talks involving Russia, the United States and Ukraine could take place in Abu Dhabi, reported Russian state broadcaster Vesti.
Interfax reported Ushakov as saying that the Ukrainian conflict was nearing an end.
Oct 9 agreement, Iran crisis also discussed
Putin and Witkoff also discussed implementing an October 9 agreement between Putin and US President Donald Trump on supplying Russian diesel to the United States and global markets, Ushakov said.
The discussions also covered the crisis involving Iran. Ushakov said Putin had stressed that diplomatic options remained available and that reaching agreements with Tehran was both possible and necessary, describing Iran as Russia’s strategic partner.
“Russia reaffirmed its readiness to continue facilitating the search for political and diplomatic solutions to the Iranian issue,” Ushakov said.
The Kremlin’s remarks signal Moscow’s stated willingness to return to negotiations next month, although the proposed talks have yet to take place.
The US envoy planned to return to Oslo for more consultations after his trip to Russia, Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre said. “I think we may have entered a phase now where the Russians are also looking for opportunities for diplomacy,” he said.
Trump-Xi-Putin summit likely
Meanwhile, Ushakov also said a trilateral meeting between Putin, Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping is “being prepared” and the aim was to include the meeting in the APEC Summit in Shenzhen next month.
Putin was the first to suggest a summit with Trump and Xi to negotiate an end to the four-year-old Ukraine conflict. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov confirmed that discussions were taking place over a potential meeting.
“There is no clear understanding yet regarding the meeting itself or its potential agenda, although all three parties acknowledge the hypothetical possibility of such a meeting taking place,” he told Wall Street Journal.