Kremlin Says Moscow Will Rejoin Three-Way Talks With US, Ukraine Next Month

Efforts to resolve the conflict in Ukraine are set to resume in November, according to Moscow, though the Kremlin has already criticized recent proposals from other nations. On Wednesday, a Russian official stated that three-way negotiations involving Moscow, Washington, and Kyiv will restart after November 10. Yuri Ushakov, a foreign affairs adviser to President Vladimir Putin, announced the schedule following a meeting between Putin and U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff.

The proposed session would mark the first time the three nations have met in this format since February. Prior efforts took place earlier this year, including two rounds of talks in Abu Dhabi in January and February, followed by a meeting in Geneva later that same month. While those gatherings resulted in prisoner exchanges, Ushakov stated that the upcoming discussions will concentrate on establishing a security framework for Russia and Ukraine once the conflict concludes.

The agreement to reconvene follows a meeting in St. Petersburg that lasted approximately three hours. Ushakov described proposals originating from a meeting in Oslo the previous day as containing little of real value for resolving the crisis. Despite this assessment, he later told Russian state television that while Moscow is not fully satisfied with the material, it represents a step in the right direction.

In response to Washington’s push for a resolution, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he supports the effort to restart talks quickly. In an audio message issued late Wednesday, he stated that the goal is to end the war and prepare for a potential meeting at the leaders' level. He added that Russia has previously indicated readiness to meet in various formats, though cancellations have occurred, and he said, “We’ll see what happens this time.”

The diplomatic maneuvers occurred against a backdrop of continued violence. Following Zelenskyy's message, missile alerts sounded over Kyiv, and explosions were heard in the capital. Ukrainian officials reported that Russian attacks overnight resulted in three deaths in Kyiv and two deaths near Kharkiv, with numerous others wounded and residential buildings damaged.

The meeting in St. Petersburg involved U.S. and Russian officials discussing potential economic cooperation and postwar plans. Ushakov noted that large-scale joint economic projects are nearing the implementation stage. Additionally, Russia released a retired American teacher who had been imprisoned on charges of fighting as a mercenary in Ukraine, a move that U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff characterized as a gesture of goodwill.

Looking ahead, the schedule for November remains subject to change. Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre, who met with Witkoff after his return from Russia, indicated that the talks are likely to take place in mid-November. He remarked, “I think we may have entered a phase now where the Russians are also looking for opportunities for diplomacy.”