Putin, Witkoff meet; Russia agrees in principle to resume three-way talks in mid-November

MOSCOW: Russian President Vladimir Putin, in a meeting with US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff in St Petersburg, expressed willingness in principle to resume three-way talks with the United States and Ukraine to end the war in Ukraine. According to Kremlin adviser Yuri Ushakov, the talks could be held in mid-November. He later told Russian state television Vesti that they could take place in Abu Dhabi.

The three-hour meeting was the ninth face-to-face meeting between Witkoff and Putin. It began with Russia’s release, as a goodwill gesture, of Stephen Hubbard, a retired American teacher who was being held in Russia.

According to Ushakov, Witkoff briefed Putin on Tuesday’s talks in Oslo with Ukrainian and European officials. He said some new aspects had emerged in the positions of Europe and Kyiv, but they lacked substance. Witkoff described the Oslo talks as useful and said they showed a degree of progress.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, speaking to journalists over WhatsApp on his return to Kyiv from Norway, said US officials had told him that Russia supported a three-way meeting at the level of teams. He said Ukraine wanted the meeting to be held no later than the start of November. He also reiterated his support for a ceasefire, an energy truce and humanitarian measures.

According to Al Jazeera, the last US-mediated talks were held in February, after which the United States and Israel began a war against Iran. Putin offered to help President Trump on the Iran issue. He said Moscow had decades-long ties with Tehran, which it had earlier offered to use to address US concerns over Iran’s nuclear programme. He also said Russia would supply large quantities of fertiliser to help American farmers.

According to the Kremlin, a possible meeting between Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping in China next month, for which Beijing is preparing, was also discussed. According to Al Jazeera correspondent Yulia Shapovalova, the Trump administration is trying to persuade Moscow to end the war through economic pressure, such as temporarily lifting US restrictions on the sale of Russian diesel.

Russia and Ukraine remain far apart on the terms of a peace agreement. On Tuesday, Trump said Ukraine must end the war or could face a “very bad” outcome. The war began more than four and a half years ago with Russia’s large-scale invasion.