The Kremlin expresses its readiness for tripartite negotiations next month regarding the Ukraine war

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The Kremlin announced on Wednesday that Moscow is ready to resume tripartite negotiations with Washington and Kiev in mid-November, while it renewed its call on Kiev for a ceasefire to facilitate talks, after a meeting between President Vladimir Putin and US envoy Steve Witkov in St. Petersburg.

Russian Presidential Assistant Yuri Ushakov told reporters that Witkov held talks with Putin that lasted about three hours during a “detailed and frank” meeting.

He added that "Steve Witkoff informed Vladimir Putin of the contents of the talks he held in Oslo" on Tuesday with Ukrainian and European officials.

Indicating that the positions of the two parties are still far apart, Ushakov said that the American envoy “talked about some new aspects in the approach of the Europeans and Kiev, but in reality they lack substance.”

However, he explained that Putin informed Witkov that Russia is “ready in principle to resume negotiations on approximately November 10” with Kiev and Washington, that is, after the midterm elections for the US Congress.

He pointed out that these talks should focus on "establishing a security system... after the end of the conflict."

US envoy Jared Kushner participated remotely in the talks that took place in St. Petersburg between Putin and Wytkov.

The last round of negotiations that took place last February did not result in any progress at the diplomatic level, while they were suspended after the outbreak of war in the Middle East with a US-Israeli attack on Iran on the 28th of the same month.

On the other hand, Yuri Ushakov indicated the possibility of holding a meeting between the Russian President and his American counterpart Donald Trump and Chinese Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the APIC summit in Shenzhen in November.

Earlier Wednesday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, in an interview with Fox News, called for freezing the battle lines in the war with Russia, considering this a first step towards ceasefire talks.

Moscow had previously rejected this proposal, demanding that an agreement be reached on the essence of the issues before stopping hostilities.

Russia, in particular, demands the withdrawal of the Ukrainian army from the lands it occupies in the Donetsk region (east), which Kiev considers unacceptable.

At the beginning of the meeting, Witkov said that he came with “ideas” regarding a “peace agreement” in Ukraine, about five years after the conflict erupted in early 2022 with a large-scale Russian attack on Ukraine.

He added, "We brought some documents, which are actually some ideas about the different elements of a kind of peace agreement between Russia and Ukraine, and you can read them when it suits you."

On the sidelines of the meeting, Russia announced the release of an American who was sentenced in 2024 to seven years in prison on charges of “fighting as a mercenary” for Ukraine, a charge he denies.

Trump, who had previously announced that he had asked his Russian counterpart to release the retired teacher, said on Wednesday that Stephen Hubbard was “on his way” to the United States and that he had been released without “return.”

Also, Putin announced that the first tanker carrying 40,000 tons of Russian diesel to the United States would sail within “two to three days.” As for Russian Deputy Prime Minister in charge of energy affairs, Alexander Novak, he indicated that it would sail on Thursday.

In early October, Trump announced an agreement between Washington and Moscow to supply Russian diesel to the American market, thereby lifting sanctions imposed on Russia, which sparked strong criticism from Kiev and its allies.

This move was seen as an attempt to lower fuel prices for American consumers before the midterm elections on November 3, which are expected to be difficult for Trump's Republican Party.

The St. Petersburg meeting was held amid recent tensions between Washington and Kiev, which accuses the United States of no longer supporting Ukraine, but rather helping Moscow.

On Tuesday, Zelensky thanked Washington for resuming providing his country with intelligence information regarding the Russian strikes, following talks with Witkov in Oslo in which Kushner participated remotely.

Ukraine expressed its dissatisfaction after Trump exempted Moscow from sanctions, considering that this reflects support for the Russian war machine. The dispute worsened when Zelensky accused his American counterpart of weakness, then accused the United States of deliberately withholding vital intelligence information and delaying the delivery of interceptor missiles.

Ukraine also reported a decline in the speed of communications through the “StarShield” system, which it relies on in its military operations against Russia. It is a version designated for military use of the “Starlink” satellite Internet system operated by the “SpaceX” company owned by Elon Musk.

Trump denied issuing an order to reduce the speed of communications through Starshield, after Musk said that such an order could only be issued by the White House.

For its part, the European Commission called on SpaceX on Wednesday to urgently “resume” allowing Ukraine full access to the Starlink service.

Despite diplomatic efforts, battles continue on the front without significant progress for either side.

Russia continued to bomb the Ukrainian energy sector, the railway network and residential buildings, killing at least four people, according to Ukrainian authorities.