Putin agrees to restart US-mediated three-way Ukraine peace talks
Russian President Vladimir Putin said on 21 October that he would restart U. S. -mediated three-way peace talks with Ukraine after meeting U. S. special envoy Steve Witkoff in St. Petersburg. Earlier in October, Witkoff had met Ukrainian and Russian officials in Oslo and St. Petersburg, but Kremlin officials said the talks yielded little progress. Russia also floated the idea of a three-way summit with the United States and China that would exclude Ukraine and the EU, according to Russian statements. President Donald Trump urged President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to accept a peace settlement with Russia and criticized him, while reports noted U.
S. restrictions on Starshield communications. European diplomats said Trump’s remarks suggested a personal bias against Zelenskyy and raised concerns about U. S. support for Kyiv. Trump also questioned U. S. aid to Ukraine and noted improvements in Ukrainian intelligence sharing, as reported by President Zelenskyy. In early October, Putin had proposed a three-way meeting with the United States and China, but Ukraine and the EU expressed doubts about Moscow’s willingness to negotiate. Senator Marco Rubio warned that the conflict could spread to neighboring countries.
