Russia agrees to restart Ukraine peace talks with US and Kyiv

The diplomatic standoff over Ukraine is set to break after Russia agreed to resume three-way negotiations with the United States and Kyiv. This development marks a potential turning point in the conflict, which has persisted for more than four and a half years. The Kremlin announced the agreement on Wednesday, signaling a willingness to return to the table for the first time since early this year.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has agreed in principle to restart the talks after November 10. The decision follows a meeting in St. Petersburg between Putin and U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff. Yuri Ushakov, Putin’s foreign affairs adviser, told reporters that the upcoming discussions will focus on building a security system for both nations once the conflict ends.

U.S. President Donald Trump is actively pressing Kyiv to reach a deal that halts the fighting. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy voiced his support for Washington’s push to restart talks swiftly. In an audio message released late Wednesday, Zelenskyy stated that the agenda is clear: to end the war and prepare for a meeting at the leaders’ level. He noted that Russia has expressed readiness to meet in various formats previously, though previous attempts were canceled.

The timing of the announcement was stark. Shortly after Zelenskyy’s message, a missile alert sounded over Kyiv. Loud explosions were heard in the capital, underscoring the ongoing violence despite diplomatic efforts. Russian overnight attacks left three people dead and 12 wounded in Kyiv, with 10 residential buildings damaged. Ukrainian Prime Minister Serhii Koretskyi reported that energy facilities in Kyiv and three other cities were targeted. Outside the eastern city of Kharkiv, two people died and 11 were wounded when drones exploded in a residential area.

Negotiators held three rounds of talks earlier this year, meeting in Abu Dhabi in January and February, followed by talks in Geneva. However, little progress was reported beyond prisoner exchanges, as Moscow and Kyiv remained stuck on their core demands. Ushakov criticized proposals from a recent meeting in Oslo, saying they contained little real value for resolving the crisis. Despite this, he later told Russian state TV that the proposals are a step in the right direction, even if Moscow is not fully satisfied.

The St. Petersburg meeting lasted about three hours and took place at the Constantine Palace. Jared Kushner, Trump’s son-in-law, joined the discussion by video. Witkoff and Kushner proposed a technical-level three-way meeting and shared progress from their talks with Zelenskyy in Oslo the previous day. They also discussed a postwar economic plan and European security. Ushakov said that large-scale joint economic projects between Russia and the U.S. were discussed in detail, with some nearing the implementation stage.

In a related development, Russia released Stephen Hubbard, a retired American teacher imprisoned on charges of fighting as a mercenary. Witkoff described the release as a goodwill gesture after Trump asked Putin to free Hubbard. Putin also met with Chinese Premier Li Qiang during the visit. The two leaders discussed a possible meeting next month between Russian, Chinese, and U.S. leaders at an economic summit in China. Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre, who met with Witkoff upon his return, suggested that the new talks are likely to occur in mid-November. He indicated that Ukraine may eventually live with a border along the current front line, even if it is not formally accepted.