Ukraine War: Three-Way Talks Set for November as Kremlin Signals Readiness

For residents in Ukraine, the immediate change is a potential pause in hostilities following months of intensified drone and missile strikes. While officials discuss peace frameworks, the reality on the ground remains volatile, with reports of five people killed and at least 23 others wounded in the most recent Russian attacks across the region. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy confirmed that early warning systems for incoming missiles are operational again after recent strikes occurred without sufficient notice.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has agreed "in principle" to restart three-way negotiations with the United States and Ukraine after Nov. 10, according to Yuri Ushakov, Putin's foreign affairs adviser. The announcement followed a meeting in St. Petersburg between the Russian leader and U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff. This potential resumption of talks marks the first such trilateral engagement since February of this year.

The proposed session would concentrate on constructing a security framework for both Russia and Ukraine once the conflict concludes. Ushakov stated the discussion in St. Petersburg lasted roughly three hours. The meeting took place a day after Witkoff met with Zelenskyy and European leaders in Oslo, Norway. Ushakov characterized the proposals emerging from the Oslo session as containing "little of real value" regarding the resolution of the crisis, though he later told Russian state television that while Moscow is not "fully satisfied" with the plan, it represents a step in the correct direction.

Zelenskyy stated he supports Washington's push to resume negotiations swiftly. In an audio message, he outlined the objectives: "The agenda is clear: to end the war, bring peace closer, and, as I understand it, prepare everything for a meeting at the leaders' level." He added, "Russia has said many times already that it is ready to meet in one format or another. Then something changed. Things were canceled. We'll see what happens this time." Immediately following his message, missile alerts sounded in Kyiv, accompanied by loud explosions in the capital.

Previous attempts at dialogue earlier this year resulted in three rounds of talks in January and February, including meetings in Abu Dhabi and Geneva. These sessions yielded little progress beyond prisoner exchanges, as both Moscow and Kyiv maintained their longstanding primary demands. Efforts by the Trump administration since early last year to end the conflict have not achieved significant progress, and U.S. President Donald Trump has increased pressure on Kyiv to reach a deal. "We want Zelenskyy to make a deal," Trump told reporters in the Oval Office on Tuesday.

During the meeting at St. Petersburg's Constantine Palace, Witkoff and Jared Kushner, Trump's son-in-law who joined via video, proposed a technical-level meeting between the three nations. They also discussed a postwar economic plan and European security. Putin expressed readiness to consider restoring U.S.-Russia economic ties and stated he could discuss the conflict involving Iran. Ushakov noted that large-scale joint economic projects were discussed in detail, with some nearing the implementation stage.

Norway's Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre, after meeting with Witkoff in Oslo, suggested that a new phase of diplomacy may be underway. "I think we may have entered a phase now where the Russians are also looking for opportunities for diplomacy," Støre told broadcaster NRK, adding that new talks were likely to occur in mid-November. When asked if Zelenskyy could accept a border along the current front line, Støre responded, "I don't think Ukraine will ever formally accept it and say that this is the new border. But whether they can live with it is another matter."