Three-Way Talks Set to Resume After Nov. 10

Three-way negotiations involving Russia, the United States, and Ukraine are set to resume next month. A Kremlin official said Wednesday that President Vladimir Putin has agreed in principle to restart these talks after November 10. The discussions would focus on building a security system for the region once the conflict ends.

Putin’s agreement came after a meeting in St. Petersburg between the Russian leader and U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff. The conversation lasted about three hours. It took place as U.S. President Donald Trump presses Ukraine to make a deal that stops the fighting. Trump said he wants a deal because the United States has given a lot to Ukraine and gotten nothing back except grief, death, and monetary loss.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he supports the push from Washington to restart talks quickly. He said the agenda is clear: to end the war and prepare for a meeting at the leaders’ level. However, he noted that Russia has claimed readiness to meet before, only to cancel later. He said the world will see what happens this time.

Shortly after Zelenskyy spoke, a missile alert sounded over Kyiv. Loud explosions were heard in the capital. Overnight attacks in Kyiv left three people dead and 12 wounded. Ten residential buildings were damaged. In other areas, attacks killed two people near Kharkiv and left 11 others wounded.

Representatives from the three countries met three times earlier this year. They met twice in Abu Dhabi in January and February, followed by talks in Geneva in February. Little progress was reported beyond exchanges of prisoners of war. Both sides have stuck to their longstanding basic demands.

The meeting in St. Petersburg involved Witkoff and Putin, along with their aides. Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner, joined the discussion by video. During the meeting, Witkoff and Kushner proposed a technical-level meeting. They also discussed a postwar economic plan and European security. Putin said he is ready to consider restoring economic ties with the United States.

Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov said proposals from a recent meeting in Oslo contained little of real value. However, he told Russian state TV that while Moscow is not fully satisfied with those proposals, they are a step in the right direction. Norway’s prime minister, Jonas Gahr Støre, said he thinks a phase may have been entered where Russians are also looking for opportunities for diplomacy.

In other developments Wednesday, Russia released a retired American teacher. Stephen Hubbard had been imprisoned on charges of fighting as a mercenary in Ukraine. Witkoff said it appeared to be a goodwill gesture from the Kremlin.

Witkoff returned to Oslo after his trip to Russia. He met with Norway’s prime minister before flying back to the United States. The prime minister said talks were likely to happen in mid-November. Regarding borders, he said Ukraine will likely never formally accept a new border line, but they may be able to live with it.