Russia says it is ready to resume talks with Ukraine and the US on ending the war
Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov said Moscow is ready in principle to restart trilateral talks with the US and Ukraine. A new round could take place next month, possibly in Abu Dhabi.
Russia is "ready in principle" to resume negotiations with the United States and Ukraine on ending the war, Yuri Ushakov, foreign policy aide to Russian President Vladimir Putin, said on Wednesday. He spoke after Putin met US President Donald Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff in St Petersburg. The talks, suspended in February, have been pressed for some time by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Europe's allies.
A possible new round
Ushakov told reporters a new round could be held around 10 November in Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates. He stressed that the talks must focus on "building a security system for Russia and Ukraine after the end of the conflict".
A US official, speaking anonymously to the BBC, said Witkoff and Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner, another key negotiator, proposed a technical-level trilateral meeting between the US, Russia and Ukraine during Tuesday's talks in Oslo. According to the official, the Ukrainians accepted in Oslo and the Russians in St Petersburg.
Before travelling to Russia, Witkoff met Zelensky in Oslo, along with the leaders of Norway and Finland. Ushakov described their ideas as not very "useful".
Background
Putin launched the war in February 2022 with a full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Senior officials from Russia, Ukraine and the US have since held several rounds of talks. The Kremlin blamed last month's "massive" Ukrainian strikes on Russia during its general elections for the suspension.
Ushakov said Putin repeated to Witkoff that Russian forces were advancing along the whole front line and held the "strategic initiative". Ukraine and its European allies dispute this, pointing to a virtual stalemate. They also argue Moscow refused talks for months because Putin believes he is winning on the battlefield.
Tension between Kyiv and Washington
The talks came amid a growing row between Ukraine and the US. Trump has said it is time for Ukraine to get a new president and, most recently, for someone else to negotiate on Ukraine's behalf. Ahead of next month's US midterm elections, he has also blamed Ukrainian attacks on Russian oil refineries for fuel prices that have been rising since the start of the US-led war on Iran. European leaders have voiced concern about recent US statements towards Russia.
