Russian President Vladimir Putin has agreed in principle to restart trilateral negotiations involving Russia, Ukraine and the United States after November 10, a Kremlin official said on Wednesday. The development comes amid continued efforts to explore a diplomatic path towards ending the war in Ukraine. Putin’s foreign affairs adviser, Yuri Ushakov, shared the update with reporters following a meeting between the Russian president and Steve Witkoff — an envoy of US President Donald Trump. According to Ushakov, Putin has agreed to resume the three-way discussions, although the proposed timeline places the next round of talks after November 10, The Associated Press (AP) reported.Â
Putin-Witkoff meeting lasts three hours in St Petersburg
The meeting between Putin and Witkoff took place at Constantine Palace in St Petersburg and lasted around three hours, according to the Kremlin. Ushakov and Russian presidential envoy Kirill Dmitriev also participated in the discussions, while Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner, was expected to join through a video link. At the beginning of the meeting, Putin thanked Trump and Witkoff for their efforts to find a way to end the conflict. Before travelling to Russia, Witkoff had described his earlier discussions in Oslo as productive and said there was “some degree of momentum” in the peace efforts. Witkoff was also expected to brief Putin on the discussions held in Norway a day earlier with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and several European leaders.
US-led peace efforts yet to produce a breakthrough
The Trump administration has been working to secure an end to the war since early last year, but the efforts have so far failed to deliver a significant breakthrough. The latest meetings indicate that Washington is continuing to explore diplomatic options, even as the two sides remain divided over the conditions for ending the conflict. Russia’s demands and Ukraine’s position on a settlement remain key obstacles to a deal. With fighting continuing and both countries carrying out regular long-range attacks, the proposed resumption of trilateral talks will be closely watched for any indication that the diplomatic process can move beyond discussions towards concrete steps.
(With inputs from AP)
Also Read:Â
‘Most comprehensive’: Ukraine backs India’s proposal as Putin praises PM Modi’s peace efforts