Russian President Vladimir Putin has agreed to resume US-mediated peace negotiations with Ukraine as early as November, raising fresh hopes of diplomatic progress in a war that has continued since Russia launched its full-scale invasion in 2022.
The Kremlin announced the development on Wednesday, October 21, following a nearly three-hour meeting between Putin and US envoy Steve Witkoff in St Petersburg, Russia.
The proposed negotiations would involve Russia, Ukraine and the United States, with discussions potentially taking place in Abu Dhabi on or after November 10. According to the Kremlin, the talks would focus on arrangements to guarantee the security of both Russia and Ukraine after the war ends.
Wednesday’s meeting also began with a goodwill gesture from Moscow, which released Stephen Hubbard, a retired American schoolteacher who had been detained in Russia. US President Donald Trump had reportedly asked Putin to release him.
The diplomatic efforts come amid growing concerns in Kyiv and among Ukraine’s allies that Washington is becoming less supportive of Ukraine. There have been complaints about interruptions to intelligence sharing and problems affecting Ukraine’s access to military communications systems.
Trump had promised during his successful 2024 election campaign to end the war within 24 hours of taking office. However, the conflict remains unresolved, and the latest diplomatic initiative comes after months of efforts to bring both sides closer to an agreement.
Kremlin Says Ukraine’s Proposals Remain Unsatisfactory
Before meeting Putin, Witkoff held discussions in Oslo with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the leaders of Finland and Norway, and representatives from Europe and NATO.
Witkoff reportedly described those discussions as showing “some degree of momentum”, while a US official said Ukraine had presented new ideas and proposals.
However, Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov indicated that Moscow was not fully satisfied with the developments.
“These nuances, so to speak, do not entirely satisfy us,” Ushakov told reporters after the meeting in St Petersburg.
Russia and Ukraine remain far apart on the conditions for ending the war. Putin continues to demand full Russian control of Ukraine’s Donetsk region, opposition to Ukraine joining NATO and a comprehensive peace agreement rather than a temporary ceasefire.
The Kremlin has also repeatedly insisted that any direct meeting between Putin and Zelenskyy would require extensive preparation by officials to ensure it could produce meaningful results.
Zelenskyy, meanwhile, said he hoped to discuss key issues surrounding the end of the war during a possible three-way meeting involving himself, Putin and Trump.
Putin Offers Trump Help on Iran and US Agriculture
The discussions between Putin and Witkoff extended beyond the war in Ukraine, with the Russian leader offering to help Washington address its concerns about Iran.
According to the Kremlin, Putin told Witkoff that reaching an agreement with Tehran was both possible and necessary. Russia has maintained relations with Iran for decades and has previously offered to use those ties to help address concerns surrounding Iran’s nuclear programme.
Putin also suggested that Russia could supply large quantities of fertiliser to the United States to support American farmers.
Another issue discussed was a possible meeting in China next month involving Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping. The Kremlin said Beijing was already preparing for what it described as a historic first meeting of its kind.
Kirill Dmitriev, Putin’s special investment envoy, also attended the talks. The Kremlin said the discussions included major joint economic projects, some of which were reportedly close to being realised.
Witkoff said he had brought documents containing possible ideas for a peace agreement for Putin to examine. Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner, also wanted to present ideas and later joined the meeting remotely by phone.
US-Ukraine Relations Face Fresh Strain
The latest peace initiative comes as relations between Washington and Kyiv have deteriorated over several issues, including a diesel export agreement between the United States and Russia announced earlier this month.
Ukraine has complained about disruptions to intelligence sharing and its access to the Starshield military satellite system. Zelenskyy said the Oslo discussions had produced an agreement to resolve those issues.
Meanwhile, The Wall Street Journal reported on Wednesday, citing US officials and people familiar with the matter, that billionaire Elon Musk had ordered a slowdown of a military-grade version of SpaceX’s Starlink satellite service used by Ukraine to track Russian ballistic missile strikes.
Reuters said it could not immediately verify the report.
Musk has maintained that decisions of this nature are made by the US military or the president. Trump has also denied responsibility, while US Secretary of State Marco Rubio reiterated on Wednesday that Washington had not withdrawn Ukraine’s access to Starlink.
The concerns over military support have added another layer of uncertainty to the negotiations, as Ukraine continues to rely on Western assistance in its war against Russia.
Can the New Talks Deliver a Peace Agreement?
Although Putin’s willingness to resume three-way negotiations offers a possible opening for diplomacy, the major disagreements between Moscow and Kyiv remain unresolved.
The proposed talks are expected to focus on security arrangements after the war, but Russia’s territorial demands and Ukraine’s position on its sovereignty and future security could prove difficult to reconcile.
With Washington increasing pressure for a settlement and relations between the US and Ukraine under strain, the planned November discussions could become an important test of whether the parties are prepared to make meaningful progress towards ending the conflict.
