Witkoff presents Putin with updated proposal to end war in Ukraine – Axios
US special envoy Steve Witkoff presented Russian dictator Vladimir Putin with an updated proposal to end the war in Ukraine during a three-hour meeting in St. Petersburg. The sides agreed to resume trilateral peace talks involving Russia, Ukraine and the United States.
Axios reports this, Censor.NET reports.
What Witkoff proposed
According to the publication, Trump’s envoy Jared Kushner also joined the conversation remotely. Axios reports that Witkoff urged Putin to "consider resuming trilateral talks involving Ukraine, Russia and the United States, where the next steps towards a settlement could be discussed".
According to Witkoff, representatives of technical expert teams could also join these talks.
"We have brought several documents outlining approaches to a peaceful settlement. I would like to ask you, Mr President, to review these documents a little later," Witkoff said. He also described the talks in Oslo as productive: "I believe there is progress."
What Moscow and Washington are saying
After the meeting, Putin’s aide Yuri Ushakov told Russian journalists that Putin had informed Witkoff he was ready, "in principle", to resume trilateral talks around November 10. According to Ushakov, the talks could take place in Abu Dhabi.
A US official told Axios that Witkoff and Kushner had proposed a trilateral meeting at the technical level between the United States, Russia and Ukraine.
"The Ukrainians backed this proposal yesterday in Oslo, and the Russians backed it today in St. Petersburg," he said.
- Axios writes that the White House hopes Putin will show greater willingness to compromise after Trump agreed to lift sanctions on Russian diesel sales and took other steps welcomed in Moscow. So far, the publication notes, Putin’s only concession has been his willingness to hold talks.
