Russia signals readiness to resume trilateral talks as Putin meets with US envoy

TASS

ST. PETERSBURG, October 21. /TASS/. Wednesday’s meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and US Special Presidential Envoy Steve Witkoff, which lasted nearly three hours, was detailed and frank, Kremlin Aide Yury Ushakov told reporters.

According to him, Putin and Witkoff discussed options for resuming talks involving Russia, the United States and Ukraine.

The Russian leader informed the US envoy that Moscow was ready to resume trilateral negotiations in early November, Ushakov added.

TASS has compiled the key details of the meeting.

Russian Presidential Aide Yury Ushakov told reporters that the meeting had been arranged several days in advance: "It was a planned meeting, agreed upon several days earlier."

He added that US negotiator Jared Kushner had been unable to travel to St. Petersburg with Witkoff due to illness and had joined the meeting via video link: "As before, Jared Kushner was expected to take part, but he was unable to come due to health issues. He joined via video link and had the opportunity to share his views and assessments on the issues under discussion."

This was the ninth meeting between Putin and Witkoff, which "serves as a useful addition to regular phone calls between the presidents of Russia and the United States."

Ushakov stressed that the meeting was "detailed and frank" and lasted almost three hours.

The Kremlin aide added that Putin highly appreciated US efforts to help resolve the Ukraine conflict: "The Russian president commended the mediation efforts of the US administration, Donald Trump personally and his envoys to find mutually acceptable solutions."

The Kremlin aide also said that "Putin highlighted the effectiveness of efforts being made by Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner."

Ushakov noted that the Ukraine issue had been the main focus of the Putin-Witkoff meeting: "The situation surrounding Ukraine was naturally the central topic of the conversation between our president and Steve Witkoff."

Ushakov also told reporters that Witkoff had briefed Putin on new approaches to resolving the conflict put forward by European and Ukrainian officials during talks in Norway: "This time, the Russian president’s meeting with Steve Witkoff was preceded by the US envoy’s negotiations in Oslo with [Vladimir] Zelensky and some officials from European countries, NATO and the European Commission. Clearly, Steve Witkoff briefed Vladimir Putin on the substance of the Oslo talks and shared his assessments, highlighting some new approaches – the new aspects of the approaches pursued by the Europeans and Kiev."

According to Ushakov, Putin and Witkoff also exchanged views on ways to achieve lasting peace in Ukraine: "As a follow-up to the October 9 phone call between Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump, an exchange of views continued on ways to achieve lasting and sustainable peace [in Ukraine]."

The Kremlin aide noted that the meeting included a detailed discussion of potential ways to resume trilateral talks involving representatives of Russia, the US and Ukraine: "It’s important to point out that a framework for a possible resumption of trilateral talks involving representatives of Russia, the US and Ukraine was discussed in detail."

Putin told Witkoff that Russia was ready to resume trilateral negotiations in early November, Ushakov said: "Our president told Steve Witkoff that we were generally ready to resume these talks around November 10 on the main subject, which concerns establishing a security system for Russia and Ukraine."

He added that the Russian leader had briefed the US envoy on the situation in the special military operation zone where the Russian Armed Forces held the strategic initiative: "Vladimir Putin provided the other party with an objective picture of developments along the line of contact where Russian forces completely hold the strategic initiative. It was emphasized that they continued to advance in all key areas."

According to Ushakov, Putin also told Witkoff that the Russian army "is quite effectively eliminating defense industry sites, energy facilities and logistics hubs in Ukraine" in retaliatory strikes.

Putin and Witkoff also addressed ways to implement the diesel supply agreement between Russia and the US, Ushakov said: "Much attention was paid to issues related to the implementation of the agreements on Russian diesel supplies to the United States and global markets, reached by Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump during their October 9 call."

Ushakov stressed that the Russian president and the US presidential envoy agreed that the diesel deal would help stabilize global fuel markets: "Both parties underscored that the deal was both in US and Russian interests and would also help stabilize supply and demand on the global fuel market. With the US administration's waiver in effect for a number of sanctions on Russian diesel, practical work has begun to that end."

According to the Kremlin aide, Putin and Witkoff also considered the prospects for joint economic projects: "They thoroughly discussed other large-scale joint economic projects that offer significant opportunities for cooperation between the two countries. Some of them are nearing their launch."

He noted that "Putin highlighted interest in further joint work between the two countries, particularly at the level of intelligence agencies."

Ushakov said Putin and Witkoff had also addressed the possibility of a trilateral meeting between the presidents of Russia, the United States and China on the sidles of the upcoming Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit: "The possibility of the first-ever meeting between the leaders of Russia, China and the US during the APEC summit, set to be held in Shenzhen, China, in November, has attracted much attention around the world and was certainly touched upon today."

According to Ushakov, Putin put forward some practical proposals regarding a potential meeting with Trump and Xi Jinping: "As for the substance of potential trilateral talks, we put forward some practical considerations."

Ushakov noted that China was preparing for a potential meeting between Putin, Xi and Trump: "Our Chinese friends, the hosts of the APEC summit, are already making preparations for it. Under favorable circumstances, our Chinese friends will include the meeting in the program of Shenzhen events."

He stressed that neither Moscow nor Washington, nor Beijing had ruled out the possibility of a Putin-Trump-Xi meeting.

Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov told TV reporter Pavel Zarubin that Vladimir Putin’s meeting with Steve Witkoff had been substantive: "It was substantive. Clearly, they spent three hours together, even a bit more."

According to Peskov, no agreements have been reached so far on the US envoy’s next visit to Russia: "No agreements have been reached on that."

In response to a question, he said that the talks had taken place in a working atmosphere, and that the conversation had been substantive: "This is the way they communicate. There was nothing special, just a substantive conversation."

Peskov added that US entrepreneur Jared Kushner had joined the conversation via video link: "Kushner joined via video conference."

Kirill Dmitriev, Russian special presidential envoy for investment and economic cooperation with foreign countries and director general of the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF), described Putin’s meeting with Witkoff as "very productive."

Fonte: TASS