Russia Ready for Ukraine Trilateral Talks in Novemberدنیا

However, Moscow has not indicated any willingness to abandon its key demands, including Ukrainian territorial concessions and restrictions on Ukraine’s military. Russian officials remain cautious about the possibility of a breakthrough, with both sides still far apart on the terms of a settlement.

<h2>Follow-up to Oslo consultations</h2> The St Petersburg meeting followed Witkoff&#8217;s discussions with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Oslo, Norway, on Tuesday, which US officials described as making &#8220;meaningful progress&#8221;. The Oslo talks also involved European and NATO representatives and covered what officials called the key elements of a comprehensive peace framework, including security guarantees for Ukraine, a post-war economic plan and a broader European security architecture.

Zelensky has expressed support for freezing the conflict along existing frontlines, provided Ukraine receives strong security guarantees. He told reporters after the Oslo meeting that Ukraine was again receiving early warnings of Russian missile attacks.

<h2>Goodwill gesture amid diplomacy</h2> The talks also resulted in Russia releasing 74-year-old American prisoner Stephen Hubbard, who had been detained for more than four years on mercenary charges. Putin freed Hubbard at the request of US President Donald Trump, taking into account the American&#8217;s poor health, according to the Kremlin.

Witkoff thanked Putin for the release, a remark that drew sharp rebuke from Republican and Democratic lawmakers given Russia&#8217;s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. The meeting suggested leaders are keen to bring new momentum to US-led peace efforts, more than four and a half years after Russia launched its invasion, though officials on all sides caution that a breakthrough remains far from certain.