Kremlin Agrees to Restart Ukraine Peace Talks After Witkoff Visit

A new round of diplomatic engagement is set to begin as Moscow formally accepted an invitation to resume tripartite peace negotiations with Washington and Kyiv.

The decision follows a three-hour meeting in St. Petersburg between Russian President Vladimir Putin and U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff. Yuri Ushakov, Putin’s foreign affairs adviser, confirmed that the Russian leader agreed “in principle” to restart discussions after Nov. 10. This move potentially establishes the first such talks since February, following a series of negotiations that took place in Abu Dhabi and Geneva earlier this year. Although those previous rounds yielded limited progress beyond prisoner exchanges, the current framework aims to build a security system for both nations post-conflict.

The diplomatic push aligns with efforts by U.S. President Donald Trump to secure a deal that halts the fighting, a strategy supported by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. In an audio message released late Wednesday, Zelenskyy stated that the agenda is clear: ending the war and preparing for a leaders-level meeting. He noted that while Russia has previously expressed readiness to meet, recent cancellations have created uncertainty about whether this attempt will succeed. Witkoff’s visit followed a day of consultations in Oslo with Zelenskyy and European leaders, though Ushakov later suggested that the proposals from that Norwegian meeting contained little of real value, despite being a step in the right direction.

During the St. Petersburg discussions at the Constantine Palace, Witkoff and Jared Kushner, who joined via video, proposed a technical-level three-way meeting. They also discussed a postwar economic plan, European security, and a potential trilateral economic summit in China involving the leaders of Russia, the U.S., and China. Putin indicated readiness to consider restoring U.S.-Russia economic ties and discussed the use of Russia’s relationship with Iran to help bring peace. In a separate development, Russia released retired American teacher Stephen Hubbard, a move Witkoff described as a goodwill gesture following a request from Trump.

Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre, who met with Witkoff in Oslo upon his return, suggested the region may have entered a phase where Russia is actively seeking diplomatic opportunities. He predicted the new talks would likely occur in mid-November and commented on Ukraine’s potential acceptance of the current front line as a de facto border. Meanwhile, pressure on Kyiv remains high. Trump told reporters in the Oval Office that the U.S. wants Zelenskyy to make a deal, citing significant losses and grief. Zelenskyy responded by noting that Kyiv is once again receiving early warnings from partners about incoming missiles, a critical issue after recent strikes occurred with insufficient notice.

The diplomatic developments unfolded against a backdrop of continued military intensity. Overnight Russian attacks on Kyiv killed three people and wounded 12, damaging ten residential buildings. In the eastern city of Kharkiv, drone strikes in a residential area resulted in two deaths and 11 injuries. Ukrainian Prime Minister Serhii Koretskyi reported that energy facilities in four cities were targeted. The Russian Defense Ministry claimed its air defenses intercepted 373 Ukrainian drones over multiple regions, including the Crimean Peninsula and the Black Sea, while striking a warehouse, an electrical substation, and a bulk carrier bound for Odesa.

With the war now more than four and a half years old, the Trump administration’s efforts to end the conflict have struggled to achieve significant breakthroughs. However, the agreement to resume talks signals a renewed attempt to inject momentum into the peace process. The coming weeks will determine whether the technical-level discussions can bridge the gap between the longstanding demands of Moscow and Kyiv, or if the cycle of negotiation and cancellation will continue.