Putin reaffirms Russia’s readiness to resume trilateral peace talks on Ukraine war
- Russian president says talks will focus on ensuring long-term security for Russia and Ukraine
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- Russian president says talks will focus on ensuring long-term security for Russia and Ukraine
By Burc Eruygur
ISTANBUL (AA) - Russian President Vladimir Putin reaffirmed Moscow’s readiness to resume trilateral peace talks on the war in Ukraine, saying the negotiations would focus on ways to ensure postwar security for both sides.
In a Thursday interview with Vesti, Putin discussed Russia’s negotiations with representatives of US President Donald Trump’s administration, recalling an agreement to resume trilateral talks aimed at ending the war in Ukraine.
“The objective of these talks will be to discuss how to ensure the security of both Ukraine and Russia following the conclusion of peace agreements – specifically definitive, long-term agreements rather than merely a temporary cessation of hostilities,” he said.
Noting that they are ready to resume contacts to achieve this goal, Putin said US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff pointed out during their meeting in St. Petersburg on Wednesday that they must address the broader architecture of European security if they are to discuss future security arrangements for both Russia and Ukraine.
“I agree with that too. Well, let’s see how the situation develops over the coming days,” he added.
His remarks came a day after he hosted the US envoy at St. Petersburg’s Constantine Palace, after which Russian presidential aide Yury Ushakov told reporters that Putin conveyed Moscow’s readiness "in principle" to resume trilateral peace negotiations on Ukraine in November.
“Our president informed Steve Witkoff that we are, in principle, prepared to resume the aforementioned trilateral negotiations around the 10th of November,” Ushakov said following the talks, adding that Moscow’s readiness for trilateral negotiations particularly concerned the issue of building a post-war “security system” for Russia and Ukraine.
Separately, Witkoff announced on the US social media platform X that he and Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner held “constructive” discussions in St. Petersburg and the Norwegian capital Oslo, the latter of which took place Tuesday, and that these discussions will continue with trilateral talks “at the technical level.”
Russia and Ukraine last held US-mediated peace negotiations earlier this year, with three rounds of talks from Jan. 23-24, Feb. 4-5 and Feb. 17-18. The first two were held in Abu Dhabi, while the third took place in Geneva.
Burç Eruygur