Russian President Vladimir Putin agreed in principle to restart U.S.-mediated talks with Ukraine after Nov. 10, while President Volodymyr Zelenskyy supported the proposal and urged the sides to meet sooner.
The announcement came after Putin met U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff for roughly three hours in St. Petersburg on Wednesday. Witkoff had met Zelenskyy and European officials in Oslo the day before. Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov said the talks would include Russia, Ukraine and the United States and focus on security arrangements after the war.
He also said Moscow thought the proposals discussed in Oslo offered little of value. Zelenskyy said Kyiv had been told that Russia supported talks between negotiating teams. He said Ukraine wanted a meeting as soon as possible, preferably by early November, earlier than the period Moscow had stated.
Abu Dhabi was mentioned as a possible venue, but no date or location has been confirmed. Zelenskyy said Ukraine was open to proposals on ending the war, ceasefires and humanitarian issues. He stressed that progress toward peace was needed.
The latest initiative follows earlier U.S.-mediated rounds in Abu Dhabi and Geneva. Those rounds produced little reported progress beyond prisoner exchanges. There is still no sign of an imminent agreement.