Russia Agrees to Three-Way Talks with Washington and Kyiv

Russia said on Wednesday it is ready to return to the negotiating table for three-way talks involving Washington and Kyiv, potentially setting up the first such meeting since February. The Kremlin confirmed that President Vladimir Putin has agreed in principle to restart these discussions after November 10. This development comes as U.S. President Donald Trump continues to press Kyiv to reach an agreement that halts the fighting, a push that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has stated he supports.

The proposal follows a three-hour meeting in St. Petersburg between Putin and U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff, where the focus was on building a security system for Russia and Ukraine once the conflict ends. The gathering at the Constantine Palace also included Putin's foreign affairs adviser, Yuri Ushakov, and Russian presidential envoy Kirill Dmitriev. Trump's son-in-law, Jared Kushner, joined the discussion via video link. According to a U.S. official, Witkoff and Kushner proposed a technical-level meeting involving all three countries and discussed a postwar economic plan and European security.

Previous talks between the three nations occurred in January and February of this year, with meetings held in Abu Dhabi and Geneva. However, those sessions resulted in little progress beyond prisoner exchanges, as Moscow and Kyiv maintained their longstanding demands. The current push for new talks follows a meeting in Oslo, Norway, between Witkoff and Zelenskyy. While Ushakov described the proposals from that Oslo meeting as containing little of real value in the context of resolving the crisis, he later told Russian state TV that Moscow is not fully satisfied with them but acknowledged they are a step in the right direction.

The effort to restart negotiations is being driven by a desire to inject new momentum into U.S.-led peace efforts, which have made no significant progress since early last year. In Washington, Trump has increased pressure on Zelenskyy to make a deal, stating, "We want Zelenskyy to make a deal." He added, "We've given a lot to Ukraine. We've gotten absolutely nothing back except grief, death, tremendous monetary loss." The Norwegian Prime Minister, Jonas Gahr Støre, indicated he believes a new phase in diplomacy may be beginning.

Despite the diplomatic activity, the conflict continues to take a toll on the ground. Overnight Russian attacks in Kyiv resulted in three deaths and 12 injuries, with 10 residential buildings damaged. In other strikes early Wednesday, energy facilities in Kyiv and three other cities were targeted, and drone explosions near Kharkiv killed two people and wounded 11 others. Ukrainian Prime Minister Serhii Koretskyi reported on these casualties.

The Russian Defense Ministry stated its forces struck a warehouse, an electrical substation, and a bulk carrier heading to the Ukrainian port of Odesa. It also reported that its air defenses intercepted 373 Ukrainian drones over multiple Russian regions overnight, as well as over Crimea and the Black Sea. In a separate development on Wednesday, Russia released a retired American teacher, Stephen Hubbard, who had been imprisoned on charges of fighting as a mercenary in Ukraine.

During the meeting in St. Petersburg, Putin also addressed other international matters. He stated he was ready to consider restoring economic ties with the United States and that he could discuss the U.S.-led conflict with Iran. Ushakov noted that large-scale joint economic projects between Russia and the United States were discussed in detail, with some nearing the implementation stage. Putin also met with Chinese Premier Li Qiang, who was in St. Petersburg for talks with other Russian officials.