Kremlin says it is ready to resume trilateral talks with US and Ukraine next month
After a meeting between Vladimir Putin and US envoy Steve Witkoff, Moscow said it is in principle ready to restart US-Ukraine-Russia talks in mid-November. The Kremlin added that Ukrainian and European proposals for ending the war lack substance.
Russia said on Wednesday that it is ready to resume trilateral talks between the United States, Ukraine and Russia next month, with the aim of ending the war in Ukraine. The announcement followed a meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and US envoy Steve Witkoff.
According to Yury Ushakov, an aide to Putin who spoke to journalists, Putin told Witkoff that Russia is in principle prepared to restart the talks. Ushakov said they could take place in mid-November, and that the main topic would be security guarantees after the conflict ends.
Assessment of Ukrainian and European approaches
At the same time, the Kremlin criticised the Ukrainian and European proposals for ending the war that Witkoff presented to Putin. Ushakov said Witkoff briefed the Russian leader on the content of the talks held in Oslo. He added that the envoy mentioned a few new aspects in the European and Kyiv approaches, but that in reality they contained little of substance.
Background
It was previously reported that on Tuesday Witkoff met Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and European officials in Norway. The Oslo discussions were what the US envoy relayed to Putin a day later.
The statement matters because it points to a possible restart of the diplomatic process. However, Moscow's sceptical assessment of the Ukrainian and European proposals suggests that positions still differ. The source does not say whether the talks will actually take place in mid-November.
