Putin Tells Witkoff Russia Is Ready to Resume Three-Way Ukraine Talks in November as American Stephen Hubbard Is Freed

Russian President Vladimir Putin told US special envoy Steve Witkoff on Wednesday that Moscow is generally ready to resume three-way peace talks with the United States and Ukraine in November, the Kremlin said after the two met in St. Petersburg. In a separate gesture during the visit, Russia released Stephen Hubbard, an American who had been jailed for more than four years.

Earlier in the day the Kremlin had played down hopes of any agreement (see our earlier coverage). The outcome is modest, but it is the first concrete sign in months that the stalled trilateral format could restart.

What Moscow Agreed To

Putin's foreign policy aide Yuri Ushakov said the two sides specifically discussed a framework for resuming negotiations between Russian, Ukrainian and US teams, with Russian officials pointing to a first round in November. Ushakov said future talks would focus on building a security arrangement for Russia and Ukraine once fighting ends.

The meeting at the Constantine Palace ran for roughly three hours. Kremlin envoy Kirill Dmitriev also took part, and Jared Kushner joined by video link. Russian officials also told Witkoff that a meeting between Donald Trump, Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping was possible, an idea the White House has floated before.

Previous trilateral rounds earlier this year produced little beyond prisoner exchanges, so a restart is not the same as progress.

The Caveats Came Quickly

Moscow paired its offer with blunt warnings. Ushakov said the proposals Witkoff carried, which he described as coming from Ukraine and the European Union, contained little that was useful for resolving the conflict. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Russia would study them but that the process would take a long time.

Russian officials also said, according to state media, that a settlement was theoretically possible but would require Kyiv to take what they called necessary decisions, warning that Ukraine's position would worsen otherwise. Russian officials had said before the meeting that Moscow's position had not changed.

Kyiv's Response

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who met Witkoff in Oslo a day earlier, said he still sees direct three-way talks as the best route to a settlement, but rejected any deal drawn up between Washington, Moscow and Beijing without Ukraine at the table. He added that any agreement would need approval from Ukraine's parliament. Witkoff is expected to return to Oslo for further consultations with European officials.

Hubbard Goes Home

Hubbard, a 74-year-old retired teacher from Michigan, was detained in 2022 and sentenced in a closed 2024 trial to nearly seven years in prison on mercenary charges, which he denies. The US had classed him as wrongfully detained. He was handed over at St. Petersburg's Pulkovo airport, and the Kremlin described the release as humanitarian.

Trump said Putin freed Hubbard without any prisoner swap. The White House said Trump had raised the case in a phone call with Putin the previous week, and Trump linked the outcome to his decision last week to block new sanctions on Moscow from taking effect.

Why It Matters Beyond Europe

Any credible move toward a ceasefire would matter well beyond the battlefield. Energy markets are already under strain from the Iran conflict and attacks on Gulf shipping, and Russia remains a major supplier of crude and diesel. Putin also signalled willingness to discuss restoring economic ties with Washington and offered to use Moscow's relationship with Tehran to help end the Iran war. For now, though, Wednesday delivered a calendar, not a breakthrough.

This is an original summary based on public reporting. See our editorial policy for how we source, write, and correct our stories.