Russian President Vladimir Putin has agreed in principle to resume three-way peace talks with the United States and Ukraine next month, aimed at ending the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, according to Kremlin officials. The announcement followed a meeting on Wednesday in St. Petersburg between Putin and U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff.
The talks are expected to focus on establishing a security framework for Russia and Ukraine after the war ends. This would mark the first high-level dialogue of its kind since February, when negotiations between the three parties largely stalled despite several rounds earlier this year.
Witkoff’s discussions with Putin took place amid ongoing U.S. efforts to push Kyiv toward peace negotiations, a process encouraged by former President Donald Trump. Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner, also participated in the St. Petersburg talks via video link. Witkoff later traveled to Oslo, Norway, where he met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and European leaders ahead of the scheduled talks.
Zelensky expressed cautious support for renewed negotiations, emphasizing that any real progress would require leaders’ summits to break the impasse. He described a freeze in the conflict as a minimum condition for peace, stating in a Fox News interview that “freezing” the fighting is the practical way to end the war. The two sides remain locked in combat, with daily exchanges of long-range strikes continuing across the battlefield.
U.S. and Russian officials have previously held three rounds of talks in early 2023, including meetings in Abu Dhabi and Geneva, which resulted primarily in prisoner exchanges but little substantial progress on core issues. Kremlin adviser Yuri Ushakov described the proposals discussed in Oslo as offering “little of real value” in resolving the crisis, although he regarded them as a step forward.
During the St. Petersburg meeting, Witkoff and Kushner proposed continuing discussions at a technical level and coordinating efforts concerning postwar reconstruction, European security, and economic plans. Putin indicated willingness to explore the restoration of U.S.-Russia economic relations and to engage on the U.S.-led conflict involving Iran, highlighting Russia's potential role in fostering peace through its ties to Tehran.
In a separate gesture, Russia released Stephen Hubbard, a retired American teacher who had been imprisoned on charges of fighting as a mercenary in Ukraine. U.S. officials viewed the release as a goodwill move following Trump’s request to Putin for Hubbard’s freedom.
Putin also met with Chinese Premier Li Qiang during his visit to St. Petersburg, as Russia continues to strengthen strategic ties with China. The two countries recently vetoed a U.S. proposal at the United Nations relating to sanctions monitoring on Iran. Ushakov mentioned discussions about a possible trilateral meeting between the leaders of Russia, China, and the United States at an upcoming economic summit in China.
Following his Russia trip, Witkoff returned to Oslo to consult with Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre, who suggested that while Ukraine is unlikely to formally accept current front lines as permanent borders, it may preliminarily tolerate them as part of a ceasefire or peace process.
The renewed diplomatic engagement signals a potential shift toward reviving stalled peace efforts after more than four and a half years of conflict, although key questions regarding the fate of occupied territories, security guarantees for Ukraine, and postwar reconstruction remain unresolved.