U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff meets with Vladimir Putin. Getty Images
Russian President Vladimir Putin told White House envoy Steve Witkoff on Wednesday that he “agrees in principle” resuming trilateral peace talks between Russia, Ukraine and the U.S. to end the war, according to Russian and U.S. officials.
Why it matters: The White House hopes Putin will show more willingness to compromise after President Trump agreed to lift sanctions on Russian diesel sales and took other steps welcomed by Moscow. For now, it seems the only concession Putin agreed to is to negotiate.
During a three-hour meeting in St. Petersburg, Witkoff presented Putin with an updated proposal to end the war in Ukraine. Trump envoy Jared Kushner joined virtually.
- Before the meeting, Russia released U.S. citizen Stephen Hubbard, 74, who had spent more than four years in captivity after being seized by Russian troops in eastern Ukraine in April 2022.
- Putin announced his release at the top of the meeting with Witkoff. “He is at Pulkovo Airport,” Putin told Witkoff in front of the cameras.
- Witkoff in response thanked Putin and called him “a humanitarian.” Sens. John Cornyn (R-Texas) and Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) expressed outrage at Witkoff’s comment.
- “WTF, Steve? Look up the definition of ‘humanitarian’. What an embarrassing and outrageous thing to say,” Tillis wrote on X. Cornyn wrote: “No. Putin is stone cold killer.”
- “Stephen is on his way back home and will soon be with his family. The United States, out of respect for President Trump, was not required to give anything in return – an unprecedented situation for Russia. There was no ‘swap’ necessary for this release,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.
Witkoff arrived in Russia after a day of talks in Oslo, Norway, with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, as well as the leaders of Norway and Finland and representatives from France, the U.K., Germany, Poland, the EU and NATO.
- Zelensky said Tuesday that the next step should be a trilateral meeting between him, Putin and Trump — a format Russia has so far rejected.
- The discussions in Oslo focused on developing a unified proposal for a “framework agreement” to end the war.
What he’s saying: “I believe the talks [in Oslo] were productive, and I would like to say that there is progress, and I will update you on this. I hope that we have truly laid the groundwork for a successful end to hostilities in this Ukrainian-Russian conflict,” Witkoff told Putin.
- Witkoff asked Putin to “consider resuming trilateral talks involving Ukraine, Russia, and the United States, where we could discuss the next steps toward achieving a settlement.”
- Witkoff said the talks could include representatives of technical groups of specialists who could discuss these issues in detail.
- “We have brought several documents outlining approaches to achieving a peaceful settlement in the Ukrainian-Russian conflict. I would ask you, Mr. President, to review these documents a little later,” Witkoff said.
After the meeting, Putin’s foreign policy adviser, Yuri Ushakov, told Russian reporters that Putin agreed to hold trilateral talks between negotiation teams.
- “Our president informed Steve Witkoff that we are, in principle, ready to resume the aforementioned trilateral negotiations on the main topic around the 10th of November,” he said, adding that the talks could take place in Abu Dhabi.
- Ushakov claimed Putin was ready to resume the trilateral talks several weeks ago, but the Ukrainian strikes on Russia on the day of the parliamentary elections led to their cancelation.
- Putin’s adviser said Witkoff briefed Putin on the discussions in Oslo. “The Oslo talks didn’t contain much that was useful in the context of resolving the Ukrainian crisis,” Ushakov said.
The latest: A U.S. official said Witkoff and Kushner proposed a trilateral meeting at the technical level between the U.S., Russia, and Ukraine. “This was accepted by the Ukrainians in Oslo yesterday and by the Russians in St. Petersburg today,” the official said.
The intrigue: Putin also told Witkoff he wants to discuss the possibility of Russia mediating between the U.S. and Iran.
- “You know that we have a special, trusting relationship with Iran, with our partners in Iran, our friends, built over decades, and if there’s anything we can do to resolve this crisis, we’ll be happy to do so. You’re also well aware of our proposals in this area,” Putin said.
What’s next: Putin told Witkoff he wants to discuss a possible meeting with Trump in China in mid-November.
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