The Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov announced on Friday that talks between Russia, Ukraine, and the United States are “planned” to resume in November in the capital of the United Arab Emirates, Abu Dhabi. The focus of the talks will be on how to ensure the security of Russia and Ukraine after the war ends.
President Putin has outlined the negotiation topics, which involve the security issues of both Russia and Ukraine after transitioning to a peaceful resolution, Peskov stated. He also mentioned that the talks will be conducted in a tripartite format, with the possibility of European countries participating.
Earlier this week, on Wednesday, Russian President Vladimir Putin met with U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff in St. Petersburg. The Kremlin stated after the meeting that Putin has agreed to restart the U.S.-brokered peace talks between Russia and Ukraine, possibly as early as November.
When asked by reporters on Thursday, Kremlin spokesperson Peskov declined to disclose the content of the conversation between Putin and Witkoff. He emphasized that in such a complex negotiation process, mediation work must be conducted in secret. It is still unclear which personnel Russia will send to participate in the trilateral talks between Russia, the U.S., and Ukraine.
Ukrainian President Zelensky expressed Ukraine’s support for the U.S.’s proposal to hold talks as soon as possible, hoping that the talks can take place in early November.
Representatives from Ukraine, Russia, and the United States had engaged in three rounds of negotiations earlier this year: two rounds in Abu Dhabi in January and February, followed by another round in Geneva in February. However, these meetings did not lead to an agreement on ending the war.