Putin agrees in principle to resume Ukraine-US peace talks in November

ASM, Philippine Canadian Inquirer
October 22, 2026

Photo courtesy: Multiple Sources

MOSCOW, Russia — Russian President Vladimir Putin has expressed willingness to restart peace negotiations with Ukraine and the United States in November, raising the possibility of renewed diplomatic efforts to end the war after months without trilateral discussions.

The development followed a nearly three-hour meeting between Putin and U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff in St. Petersburg on Wednesday, October 21.

Kremlin foreign policy adviser Yuri Ushakov confirmed that Moscow was prepared in principle to return to negotiations around November 10, with Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates being considered as a possible venue. However, the exact schedule and location have not been finalized.

The proposed discussions would bring representatives of Russia, Ukraine and the United States together for the first time since February.

A major focus would be establishing security arrangements for Moscow and Kyiv following a potential end to the conflict, according to Ushakov.

The announcement comes after Witkoff met Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and European leaders in Oslo, Norway, on October 20.

Those discussions involved proposals for ending hostilities and providing Ukraine with long-term security guarantees. Witkoff subsequently presented the latest diplomatic proposals to Putin during their meeting in Russia.

Ushakov acknowledged that the U.S. envoy had outlined new ideas from Ukraine and European governments, although he suggested that Moscow remained unconvinced by parts of the proposals.

Despite those differences, both Russia and Ukraine have indicated openness to renewed negotiations.

According to Axios, a U.S. official said Ukrainian representatives accepted the proposal for technical-level trilateral talks during the Oslo discussions, followed by Russia’s agreement in St. Petersburg.

Zelenskyy has also called for direct talks involving himself, Putin and U.S. President Donald Trump to address the major issues preventing a peace agreement.

However, the proposed November negotiations would initially involve diplomatic and technical representatives rather than a confirmed meeting among the three presidents.

Beyond the war in Ukraine, Putin and Witkoff discussed economic relations between Washington and Moscow.

The Kremlin said the meeting covered implementation of an October 9 agreement between Putin and Trump concerning Russian diesel exports to U.S. and international markets.

The two sides also discussed diplomatic efforts involving Iran, with Moscow expressing readiness to help pursue a negotiated resolution.

The diplomatic developments coincided with Russia’s release of American citizen Stephen Hubbard, who had been detained in Russia. Ushakov said Hubbard was handed over to Witkoff at St. Petersburg’s Pulkovo Airport for his return to the United States.

While the agreement to resume discussions signals movement in diplomatic contacts, significant disagreements remain over the terms of a potential settlement.

The Kremlin has not publicly confirmed the specific territorial or military arrangements it would accept, and no ceasefire agreement has been announced.

The next step is to establish the arrangements for the proposed November meeting, where representatives from the three countries could begin examining possible terms for ending the war.