By Josh Christenson
Published Oct. 21, 2026, 10:02 a.m. ET
WASHINGTON — Russian President Vladimir Putin has agreed to return to trilateral negotiations with the US and Ukraine to end its war, a Kremlin official told reporters Wednesday.
Moscow’s foreign affairs adviser Yuri Ushakov said that Putin said “in principle” peace talks will continue after Nov. 10, following a meeting with US special envoy Steve Witkoff in St. Petersburg.
Witkoff met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and European leaders in Oslo, Norway, on Tuesday to weigh a proposal that laid out Kyiv’s security guarantees, economic recovery funds and other items, before heading to Russia to present the document to Putin.
Russian President Vladimir Putin, left, shakes hands with US special envoy Steve Witkoff during a meeting at the Constantine Palace in Saint Petersburg, Russia, Wednesday, Oct. 21, 2026.via REUTERS
Ushakov said Wednesday following the sitdown with Witkoff that future trilateral talks will focus on “building a security system for Russia and Ukraine after the conflict ends” — another item that was to be considered as part of the peace proposal, a source previously told The Post.
The about-face comes after the Russian leader had resisted summits with Trump and Zelensky to wind down the more than four-year war.
Raging at Zelensky last week over Ukrainian strikes on Russian energy sites, Trump also floated excluding the embattled nation from trilateral talks — and inviting China and Russia to meet with the US instead.
The president has groused that the destruction of Russian oil refineries by Ukrainian drones has tanked global energy markets, prompting him to announce a deal with Putin on Oct. 9 to waive sanctions and buy up some portion of those exports.
Ushakov said Wednesday following the sitdown with Witkoff that future trilateral talks will focus on “building a security system for Russia and Ukraine after the conflict ends” — another item that was to be considered as part of the peace proposal, a source previously told The Post.
The about-face comes after the Russian leader had resisted summits with Trump and Zelensky to wind down the more than four-year war.
Raging at Zelensky last week over Ukrainian strikes on Russian energy sites, Trump also floated excluding the embattled nation from trilateral talks — and inviting China and Russia to meet with the US instead.
The president has groused that the destruction of Russian oil refineries by Ukrainian drones has tanked global energy markets, prompting him to announce a deal with Putin on Oct. 9 to waive sanctions and buy up some portion of those exports.
