In brief
Vladimir Putin’s top aide has said Russia is "ready in principle" to resume talks with the US and Ukraine, aiming to end the war that began in 2022. A recent meeting in St Petersburg between the Russian representative and US envoy Steve Witkoff ended after about three hours, with ideas exchanged but seen as unhelpful by Kremlin officials. Kyiv has been pushing for a new round of negotiations, and the Kremlin suggests a meeting could take place in early November. The discussion will focus on establishing a security framework for both Russia and Ukraine following a potential ceasefire.
On Thursday, Russia’s chief spokesman for international policy, Yuriy Ushakov, said the Kremlin is "ready in principle" to pick up stalled dialogue with the United States and Ukraine after a brief meeting in St Petersburg.
The meeting followed a visit by U.S. President Donald Trump’s special envoy, Steve Witkoff, who also met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and the leaders of Norway and Finland. Ushakov was quick to dismiss the proposals as "not very useful."
Since February 2022, the triple‑party talks have been suspended, with Moscow blaming recent large Ukrainian strikes as the main disruption. Now, Ukrainian negotiators are pushing for a new session next month.
Ushakov suggested that a new round could take place around 10 November, stressing that the discussions must focus on creating a security system for Russia and Ukraine after the conflict ends.
