Russia is "ready in principle" to resume talks with the US and Ukraine aimed at ending the ongoing conflict, according to Vladimir Putin's top aide, Yuri Ushakov. This announcement follows a meeting between Putin and Steve Witkoff, a special envoy from US President Donald Trump, in St Petersburg.
Context
The discussions come as Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky and European allies have been urging Moscow to restart negotiations that were suspended in February. Ushakov indicated that a new round of talks could potentially take place next month, possibly in Abu Dhabi.
Witkoff's visit to St Petersburg followed his meetings with Zelensky and leaders from Norway and Finland in Oslo. Ushakov remarked that the ideas discussed during those meetings were not particularly "useful".
Developments
Top officials from Russia, Ukraine, and the US have engaged in several rounds of discussions since the war began in February 2022, when Putin initiated a full-scale invasion of Ukraine. However, these talks were halted, with the Kremlin attributing the disruption to significant Ukrainian strikes on Russia during its general elections last month.
