Ukraine Conflict: Moscow Signals Readiness to Reopen Dialogue with US and Kyiv

The Kremlin announced on Wednesday that it has agreed in principle to resume trilateral negotiations with the United States and Ukraine after November 10. The confirmation came following a meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff in St. Petersburg, marking a potential return to the format of talks that was used earlier this year. According to Yuri Ushakov, Putin’s foreign affairs adviser, the discussions would focus on building a security system for Russia and Ukraine once the conflict concludes.

This development represents the first step toward restarting a diplomatic channel that has been inactive since February. Representatives from the three nations previously met in Abu Dhabi and Geneva during January and February of this year. While those sessions resulted in prisoner exchanges, they yielded little progress on the core issues, as Moscow and Kyiv maintained their longstanding demands. The current push for renewed talks is driven by Washington, with U.S. President Donald Trump pressing for an agreement to stop the fighting.

The meeting in St. Petersburg lasted approximately three hours and included U.S. presidential envoy Kirill Dmitriev. Jared Kushner, Trump’s son-in-law, joined the discussion via video link. During the conversation, American representatives proposed holding a three-way meeting at the technical level. They also discussed a postwar economic plan and European security arrangements. While Ushakov stated that proposals emerging from a recent meeting in Oslo contained little of real value regarding the crisis, he later told Russian state television that Moscow is not fully satisfied with those ideas but acknowledges they are a step in the right direction.

In addition to the security talks, Putin indicated a willingness to consider the restoration of economic ties between Russia and the United States. Ushakov noted that large-scale joint economic projects with significant prospects for cooperation were discussed in detail, with some nearing the implementation stage. Putin also stated that Moscow stands ready to use its relationship with Iran to help bring peace to the region. Witkoff’s visit coincided with the release of a retired American teacher who had been imprisoned in Russia on charges of fighting as a mercenary in Ukraine.

The diplomatic maneuvering is taking place against a backdrop of ongoing military pressure. Overnight attacks in Kyiv resulted in the deaths of three people and left twelve others wounded, damaging ten residential buildings. Energy facilities in Kyiv and three other cities were also targeted. Outside Kharkiv, drone explosions in a residential area killed two people and injured eleven others. Ukrainian Prime Minister Serhii Koretskyi reported these casualties, while the Russian Defense Ministry claimed its forces struck a warehouse, an electrical substation, and a vessel headed for Odesa.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has expressed support for the push from Washington to restart talks swiftly. In an audio message issued late Wednesday, he stated that the agenda is to end the war and prepare for a meeting at the leaders’ level. Zelenskyy noted that while Russia has claimed readiness to meet in the past, circumstances have changed and cancellations have occurred, adding that they will see what happens this time. His message was released shortly before a missile alert sounded over Kyiv, followed by loud explosions in the capital.

The renewed efforts to find a resolution to the conflict, which began more than four and a half years ago, come as Trump increases pressure on Kyiv. At the White House on Tuesday, Trump stated that the United States wants Zelenskyy to make a deal, noting that Washington has given a lot to Ukraine but has received nothing back except grief and monetary loss. Trump warned that if no agreement is reached, it will be a very bad thing. Amid concerns regarding Washington's support, Zelenskyy said Kyiv is once again receiving early warnings from partners regarding incoming Russian missiles.

Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre suggested that the international community may have entered a new phase where Russia is also looking for opportunities for diplomacy. Following a meeting with Witkoff in Oslo, Støre told broadcaster NRK that new talks are likely to happen in mid-November. When asked whether Zelenskyy could accept a border running along the current front line, Støre commented that while Ukraine will never formally accept it as the new border, the question of whether they can live with it is another matter.