Russian President Vladimir Putin has said that future trilateral talks on ending the war with Ukraine must include security guarantees for Russia and Kyiv, as well as security for Europe as a whole.
The Russian leader confirmed on Oct. 22 that Moscow was ready to resume U.S.-mediated negotiations, the day after meeting with Washington’s Special Presidential Envoy for Peace Missions Steve Witkoff.
“The U.S. administration representative emphasized that if we are to discuss issues related to ensuring future security for both Ukraine and Russia, then, naturally, we will also need to discuss the European security architecture as a whole,” Putin told journalist Pavel Zarubin.
“And I agree with this. Well, we'll see how the situation develops in the coming days.”
Putin maintained that the goal of the talks should be a final peace agreement—not just a ceasefire.
“We are ready to resume these contacts to achieve this goal,” he said.
Putin met with Witkoff on Oct. 21 at the Grand Imperial Palace in St. Petersburg. The Kremlin later said that talks mediated by the United States will resume.
The Kremlin said that they could restart as early as Nov. 10 and could take place in Abu Dhabi.
The last round of three-way negotiations took place in February.
Territory Demands
Putin also addressed the issue of territory, which is a main focus of the war in Ukraine.
Russia is demanding that Ukraine cede all of the Donbas region in the east, but Kyiv rejects any notion that a settlement would involve giving up that territory.
Currently, Russia occupies around one-fifth of eastern Ukraine and Crimea, which it seized in 2014.
In his remarks, Putin said that as far as he is concerned, Ukrainian territory occupied by Russian forces “isn’t their territory.”
“It’s the territory of historical Russia,” the president said. “Moreover, the people living in these territories voted, firstly, for state independence; and secondly, I want to emphasize, for reunification with the Russian Federation.”
Putin also reiterated that Moscow is not looking to expand the conflict westwards.
“We don’t want to, and we’re not preparing for, any kind of war with Europe,” he said.
Zelenskyy Backs Fresh Talks
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy met with Witkoff in Oslo, Norway, on Oct. 20.
Speaking to journalists the following day, Zelenskyy said he supported the resumption of talks as soon as possible, but no later than early November.
“We have received feedback that ... Russia supports a trilateral meeting at the level of our [negotiating] teams,” Zelenskyy said.
“The American side has proposed holding it as soon as possible, and we support that.”
He said Ukraine has been in contact with American partners and that Kyiv supports “any proposals for a ceasefire, an end to the war, an energy ceasefire as well as humanitarian initiatives.”
Following his meeting with Ukrainian, Russian, and European leaders in St. Petersburg and Oslo, Witkoff said the discussions were constructive and that trilateral talks between Washington, Kyiv, and Moscow will continue.
“While there is still important work left to do, President [Donald] Trump remains committed to seeing this war end and achieving a comprehensive, durable peace that will provide security and prosperity for generations to come,” Witkoff said in an Oct. 21 post on X.
Reuters contributed to this report.
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