Putin Agrees to Resume Three-Way Talks with Ukraine and US in November

Russia has agreed to resume three-way talks with Ukraine and the US in the second half of November, following a meeting between Putin and US envoy Steve Whitkoff. This marks a reversal from previous postponements, signaling a potential de-escalation, though the outcome and specific preconditions remain uncertain. Confidence in this development is medium.

US envoy Steve Witkoff met with Russian President Putin, leading to Russia's agreement to resume trilateral talks with Ukraine and the US in November. Concurrently, Putin has proposed a separate trilateral summit involving himself, Trump, and Xi in Shenzhen, China, explicitly excluding Ukraine and the EU. The US has made a sanctions concession on Russian diesel, and Russia released a US detainee, signaling a diplomatic opening, though Ukraine's direct participation in all proposed formats and the viability of the Trump-Xi-Putin summit remain uncertain.