Putin ‘Ready’ for Three-Way Ukraine Talks in November, Kremlin Says

The Kremlin said President Vladimir Putin was prepared, in principle, to resume trilateral negotiations involving Russia, Ukraine and the United States. Yuri Ushakov, a Kremlin aide, said Putin conveyed this position during a meeting with US envoy Steve Witkoff in St. Petersburg. The talks would focus on security after the war.

The proposed timing was around mid-November. Witkoff had arrived with documents describing possible approaches to ending Russia’s war against Ukraine. He also urged Putin to restart negotiations involving all three countries, including technical working groups.

This was Moscow’s stated position, not a jointly confirmed schedule. No agreement on a meeting date had been announced by Russia, Ukraine and the United States. Witkoff said the earlier Oslo discussions were productive and could lead toward a ceasefire, while Putin was expected to review the proposals.

Trilateral negotiations are diplomatic talks involving three participants. In this case, the proposed participants are Russia, Ukraine and the United States. The format matters because the war directly involves Russia and Ukraine, while the United States is carrying proposals between the sides and supporting diplomatic efforts.

Steve Witkoff brought documents from discussions with Ukrainian and European leaders in Oslo. He urged Putin to consider talks involving representatives of all three countries. The proposed process could also include technical working groups, allowing officials to examine detailed issues rather than relying only on high-level meetings.

The format remained proposed, not finalized. Moscow said it was ready in principle to resume the negotiations, possibly around mid-November. The discussions would address postwar security, while related talks covered a ceasefire, territorial questions, sanctions and Ukraine’s future security. Ukraine also stressed that its participation was essential in any negotiation about its future.

The proposed format includes three countries: Russia, Ukraine and the United States. Russia would take part as the country that launched the war and would present its views on postwar security. Ukraine would represent its own future, territory and defense needs. The United States would serve as a diplomatic intermediary carrying proposals between the sides.

Steve Witkoff arrived in St. Petersburg with documents developed after discussions with Ukrainian and European leaders in Oslo. He asked Putin to consider restarting negotiations involving representatives from all three countries. The proposed talks could include technical working groups to handle detailed issues.

The format had not become a confirmed agreement. Moscow expressed readiness in principle, but no jointly announced date existed. Ukraine also made clear that no decision about its future could be negotiated without Kyiv. The United States was therefore involved as a participant and messenger, not as a replacement for Ukraine.

A postwar security framework would set out how Russia and Ukraine might remain secure after the fighting ends. The Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov identified this as Moscow’s main proposed topic. Its importance in the proposed talks is that a ceasefire or peace process would leave both countries facing questions about future security.

The Oslo discussions also covered Ukraine’s security, territorial questions, sanctions and postwar prosperity. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Kyiv had a draft document containing several types of guarantees. Those proposals were to be presented to the Russian side before Ukraine assessed Putin’s response.

The article does not describe a completed framework or settle its terms. It shows that security was central to both Moscow’s and Kyiv’s diplomatic efforts. Zelensky sought strong guarantees for Ukraine, while Moscow proposed a broader security framework for Russia and Ukraine after the war. Further talks would test whether these positions could be reconciled.

Security guarantees are promised measures or commitments intended to protect a country after conflict. In this case, Ukraine wants strong guarantees once the fighting ends. Zelensky said proposals discussed in Oslo included arrangements resembling NATO’s Article 5 collective-defense commitment, though the article does not give final terms.

The discussions also involved practical defenses. Zelensky expected progress on Patriot interceptors, intelligence cooperation and restrictions affecting Starlink terminals. He confirmed that US intelligence sharing for early warnings of Russian attacks had resumed after a week of interruptions. These measures could strengthen Ukraine’s ability to detect and respond to threats.

No guarantee had been finalized. Kyiv planned to present its draft document to Russia and then assess Putin’s response. The negotiations therefore mattered not only for a possible ceasefire, but also for what protection Ukraine would have afterward. The article shows that Ukraine viewed credible security support as essential to its postwar future.

Renewed negotiations could create a diplomatic path toward a ceasefire and address security arrangements after the war. Witkoff described the Oslo discussions as productive and said they could move toward a ceasefire. Talks would also bring the parties together to examine territorial questions, sanctions and postwar prosperity.

The discussions could affect Ukraine’s defenses while diplomacy continued. Zelensky expected progress on Patriot interceptors, intelligence cooperation and Starlink-related restrictions. He also confirmed that US intelligence sharing for early warnings of Russian attacks had resumed after a week of interruptions. These issues formed part of Ukraine’s ability to defend itself.

The wider outcome remained uncertain because the proposed format was not a joint agreement. Putin was to review the documents, and Moscow had ruled out political concessions before the meeting. Renewed talks might therefore support a ceasefire process, but they would still need agreement from Russia and Ukraine on security and other disputed issues.

Ukraine insists on participating because any agreement would directly shape its future, security and territory. President Volodymyr Zelensky rejected attempts to negotiate Ukraine’s future without Kyiv. He said other leaders could hold their own discussions, but negotiations about Ukraine required Ukrainian involvement.

This position applied even to possible high-level meetings involving Donald Trump, Vladimir Putin and Chinese leader Xi Jinping. Zelensky distinguished such a meeting from the three-way format he had proposed between the United States, Ukraine and Russia. He also said Ukraine’s draft security proposals would be presented to Russia.

Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre supported the same principle. He reaffirmed that decisions about Ukraine’s future could not be made without Ukraine’s involvement. This makes participation a foundation of the proposed process, not a minor procedural detail. Without Kyiv at the table, Ukraine would not be represented when security guarantees, territory and postwar arrangements are discussed.