Russian President Vladimir Putin stated on Thursday that Moscow is prepared to resume trilateral peace talks concerning the war in Ukraine. Speaking to Vesti, Putin addressed negotiations with representatives of US President Donald Trump and recalled an agreement to restart trilateral discussions aimed at ending the conflict.
The Russian leader explained that the meetings will address security guarantees for both Ukraine and Russia once peace is established. He emphasized that these discussions must focus on definitive and long-term agreements rather than a temporary cessation of hostilities.
"The objective of these talks will be to discuss how to ensure the security of both Ukraine and Russia following the conclusion of peace agreements, specifically definitive, long-term agreements rather than merely a temporary cessation of hostilities," Putin said.
Putin stated that Russia is ready to resume contacts. US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff pointed out during their meeting in St. Petersburg on Wednesday that officials must also address the broader architecture of European security when discussing future arrangements for Moscow and Kyiv.
"I agree with that too," Putin said. "Well, let’s see how the situation develops over the coming days."
The interview followed a meeting between Putin and the US envoy at the Constantine Palace in St. Petersburg. Russian presidential aide Yury Ushakov told reporters that Putin conveyed Moscow’s readiness in principle to resume trilateral negotiations in November.
"Our president informed Steve Witkoff that we are, in principle, prepared to resume the aforementioned trilateral negotiations around the 10th of November," Ushakov said. He added that this readiness concerned the establishment of a post-war security system for both countries.
US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff announced on X that he and Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner held constructive discussions in St. Petersburg. Witkoff stated that the diplomatic tour also included a stop in Oslo on Tuesday, and confirmed that these discussions will continue with trilateral talks at the technical level.
Previous US-mediated peace negotiations between Russia and Ukraine took place earlier this year. The two sides held three rounds of talks, running from January 23 to 24, February 4 to 5, and February 17 to 18.
The first two rounds of those earlier negotiations were hosted in Abu Dhabi, while the third round took place in Geneva.
