Putin agrees to resume Ukraine peace talks as missiles hit Kyiv
Russia says it is ready in principle to restart three-way peace talks with Ukraine and the US, Axios and the BBC reported. A Kremlin aide said a new round could be held around November 10 in Abu Dhabi. Hours later, missiles hit Kyiv and hurt six people, the BBC reported.
Russian President Vladimir Putin agreed in principle on Wednesday to restart three-way peace talks with Ukraine and the US, according to Axios and the BBC. He met White House envoy Steve Witkoff for about three hours in St Petersburg, Axios reported. Jared Kushner, another Trump envoy, joined by video.
Putin's foreign policy aide, Yuri Ushakov, spoke to reporters after the meeting. "Our president informed Steve Witkoff that we are, in principle, ready to resume the aforementioned trilateral negotiations on the main topic around the 10th of November," he said, according to Axios. He said the talks could be held in Abu Dhabi, the BBC and Axios reported.
The three-way talks were paused in February, the BBC reported. Ushakov said new talks must focus on "building a security system for Russia and Ukraine after the end of the conflict," according to the BBC.
A US official said the envoys proposed a meeting of technical teams from the three countries, Axios reported. "This was accepted by the Ukrainians in Oslo yesterday and by the Russians in St. Petersburg today," the official said. Witkoff had met Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky in Oslo on Tuesday, the BBC reported.
On Wednesday night, missiles hit several houses in Kyiv and injured six people, the city's mayor, Vitaliy Klitschko, said, according to the BBC.
Witkoff called the talks "constructive," the BBC reported. Kushner said there was "a real opportunity to move beyond this war," it reported. Before the meeting, Russia freed Stephen Hubbard, a 74-year-old American, Axios reported.
Zelensky said Wednesday he would accept a deal that freezes the war along the current front line, the BBC reported. "Freeze and stop. And of course this is minimum what we need from Russia today," he said in an interview with Fox News, according to the BBC.
Ushakov also said Putin repeated that Russian troops were advancing along the front, the BBC reported. Ukraine and its European allies dispute that claim, it said.
What we know: Russia says it is open to new talks around November 10 in Abu Dhabi.
What we don't: Whether the talks will happen and what deal is on the table.
Where outlets agree Axios and the BBC report that Putin agreed in principle to resume trilateral peace talks after meeting Steve Witkoff in St Petersburg, and that his aide Yuri Ushakov said a new round could be held around November 10 in Abu Dhabi.
Where they differ Axios reports that the Oslo talks before the meeting also included officials from France, the UK, Germany, Poland, the EU and NATO, while the BBC names only Zelensky and the leaders of Norway and Finland.