Ukraine has backed a U.S. proposal for renewed talks among Kyiv, Moscow and Washington, but the parties have yet to agree when their negotiating teams should meet.
President Volodymyr Zelensky said Ukraine wanted talks with Russia and the United States as soon as possible, preferably no later than early November, Reuters reported. The Associated Press, citing Kremlin foreign-policy adviser Yuri Ushakov, reported that Russian President Vladimir Putin agreed in principle to resume three-way talks after Nov. 10.
AP, citing a U.S. official, reported that U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner proposed a meeting at the technical level. At a meeting in Oslo on Oct. 20, Zelensky met Witkoff and European partners, while Kushner joined remotely. Ukraine’s presidential office said the talks covered Starlink, ballistic-missile interceptors, intelligence, sanctions, European security and security guarantees. The office said U.S. participants affirmed that guarantees for Ukraine must be strong.
Zelensky also raised the possibility of a leaders-level meeting to address issues he said required decisions at that level, the presidential office said. The office said Kyiv offered to stop strikes on sensitive Russian energy facilities if Moscow halted attacks on Ukrainian ones, and attributed the rejection of that offer to Putin.
Zelensky said Ukraine would support proposals on a ceasefire, ending the war, energy measures and humanitarian steps, including the return of prisoners and diplomats, The Kyiv Independent reported. The outlet also reported that Witkoff described the recent meetings as constructive while saying more work remained.
The proposed talks would follow three rounds held in 2026: two in Abu Dhabi, in January and February, and one in Geneva, in February. AP said the earlier sessions yielded few publicly disclosed results apart from prisoner exchanges.
Bloomberg reported, in an account relayed by The Straits Times, that U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio described negotiations as difficult and focused on Donbas, with both sides needing to make concessions. No date or venue for the proposed meeting has been agreed or confirmed.
