Talks on ending the Ukraine war return to the table

A missile alert pierced the silence over Kyiv just as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy issued a statement supporting a new push for peace. The juxtaposition of the explosions and the diplomatic optimism highlighted the fragile nature of the moment. After more than four and a half years of conflict, the three major players have agreed to sit down at the table again, marking a potential shift in a war that has shown little movement for months.

The Kremlin announced on Wednesday that Russian President Vladimir Putin agreed in principle to resume three-way negotiations with the United States and Ukraine. The talks are expected to begin after November 10, which would be the first such meeting since February. Yuri Ushakov, Putin’s foreign affairs adviser, told reporters that the discussions will focus on creating a security system for both nations once the fighting stops.

These talks follow a three-hour meeting in St. Petersburg between Putin and U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff. The session took place at the Constantine Palace and included Russian presidential envoy Kirill Dmitriev. Jared Kushner, the son-in-law of U.S. President Donald Trump, joined via video. According to a U.S. official familiar with the discussions, Witkoff and Kushner proposed a technical level meeting and shared progress from their recent conversations with Zelenskyy.

The diplomatic momentum is part of a broader effort by the Trump administration to end the war, which has seen little significant progress since early last year. Witkoff met with Zelenskyy and European leaders in Oslo the day before his visit to Russia. Ushakov described the proposals from Oslo as containing little of real value for resolving the crisis, though he later noted on state television that they were a step in the right direction.

Zelenskyy expressed support for the quick restart of talks, noting that Russia has often claimed readiness to meet. He warned, however, that previous plans were canceled, leaving uncertainty about the current round. The Ukrainian leader said the goal is clear: to end the war and prepare for a meeting at the leaders’ level. This comes as Trump pressures Kyiv to make a deal, telling reporters on Tuesday that the U.S. has given a lot to Ukraine and received mostly grief and monetary loss in return.

Beyond the war itself, the St. Petersburg meeting covered economic ties. Putin said he was ready to consider restoring U.S.-Russia economic relations and discuss the conflict in Iran. Ushakov mentioned that large-scale joint economic projects were discussed in detail, with some nearing the implementation stage. The two leaders also discussed a possible summit in China next month involving Putin, Trump, and Chinese Premier Li Qiang.

Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre, who met with Witkoff in Oslo after the Russian trip, suggested a new phase of diplomacy may be beginning. He predicted the talks would happen in mid-November and offered a nuanced view on the border issue, stating that while Ukraine may not formally accept the front line as a permanent border, living with it is another matter.

The diplomatic activity coincided with ongoing military strikes. Overnight attacks in Kyiv left three people dead and twelve wounded, while energy facilities in three other cities were targeted. In Kharkiv, drone strikes killed two people and injured eleven. The Russian Defense Ministry reported intercepting 373 Ukrainian drones over multiple regions and the Crimean Peninsula. In a gesture of goodwill, Russia also released a retired American teacher, Stephen Hubbard, who had been imprisoned on mercenary charges.

The return of negotiations offers a glimmer of hope, but the gap between the front lines and the negotiating table remains wide. With both sides holding to their longstanding demands and the war showing no signs of slowing on the battlefield, the coming weeks will test whether this new momentum can translate into a lasting agreement.