Putin Agrees to Trilateral Peace Talks with US and Ukraine

Russian President Vladimir Putin has agreed to return to trilateral negotiations with the U.S. and Ukraine to end the ongoing war, a Kremlin official announced Wednesday.

Moscow's foreign affairs adviser Yuri Ushakov stated that Putin indicated "in principle" that peace talks will continue after November 10. This agreement follows a meeting between Ushakov and U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff in St. Petersburg.

Witkoff had previously met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and European leaders in Oslo, Norway, on Tuesday. The meeting focused on weighing a proposal that outlined Ukraine's security guarantees, economic recovery funds, and other critical items. Following this, Witkoff traveled to Russia to present the document to Putin.

Ushakov said Wednesday that future trilateral talks will focus on "building a security system for Russia and Ukraine after the conflict ends." This objective was reportedly a key component of the peace proposal being considered.

The development marks a shift, as Putin had previously resisted summits with both U.S. special envoy Witkoff and Zelensky to de-escalate the more than four-year conflict.

This agreement comes after recent tensions, including Ukrainian strikes on Russian energy sites. President Trump had previously voiced frustration over these attacks, suggesting that they had negatively impacted global energy markets. Trump had also floated the idea of excluding Ukraine from future talks, proposing instead a meeting involving China and Russia with the U.S.