Ukraine War Talks Set to Resume With Russia and the U.S.

Negotiations to end the Ukraine war are set to restart with Russia, Ukraine, and the U.S. Russian President Vladimir Putin agreed in principle to restart the talks after November 10, according to his foreign affairs adviser, Yuri Ushakov. The talks will focus on building a security system for Russia and Ukraine after the conflict ends, and the agenda is clear: to end the war, bring peace closer, and prepare for a meeting at the leaders’ level.

The negotiations will take place a day after U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff met with Zelenskyy and some European leaders in Norway’s capital, Oslo. The proposals from the Oslo meeting contained little of real value in resolving the Ukrainian crisis, but they are a step in the right direction, according to Ushakov. The discussion in St. Petersburg lasted about three hours, and the talks will likely happen in mid-November, according to Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre.

The U.S. has pressed Zelenskyy to come to an agreement with Russia, as relations between the two leaders have soured again. Trump told reporters that he wants Zelenskyy to make a deal, saying that the U.S. has given a lot to Ukraine and received little back except grief, death, and monetary loss. If that doesn’t happen, “I think it’s going to be a very bad thing,” Trump said.

Russia and the U.S. have also discussed a postwar economic plan, European security, and the upcoming meeting. Putin said he is ready to consider restoring economic ties with the U.S. and is prepared to discuss the U.S.-led conflict with Iran. Moscow is ready to use its relationship with Tehran to help bring peace, Putin said.

The talks are set to resume on November 10, and the agenda is clear: to end the war, bring peace closer, and prepare for a meeting at the leaders’ level. The U.S. and Russia are both keen to bring new momentum to peace efforts more than 4½ years after the war began. Efforts by the Trump administration since early last year to end the war have made no significant progress.