Russia ready to resume talks

Vladimir Putin's top aide Yuri Ushakov said Russia is ready in principle to resume talks with the US and Ukraine on ending the conflict.

Witkoff meets Putin in St Petersburg

US President Donald Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff met Putin in the Russian city of St Petersburg. The latest talks lasted about three hours.

Witkoff's diplomatic tour

Witkoff visited Oslo on Monday to meet Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky and the leaders of Norway and Finland before travelling to St Petersburg.

Zelensky's proposals discussed

Zelensky said after talks in Oslo that strong security guarantees for Ukraine and energy ceasefire proposals had been discussed. Ushakov said their ideas were not very useful.

Talks could resume in November

Ushakov suggested a new round of talks could be held around ten November in Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates.

Trilateral meeting proposed

A US official said Witkoff and Jared Kushner proposed a trilateral meeting at the technical level between the US, Russia and Ukraine. Both accepted.

Zelensky's minimum demand

Zelensky said he would accept a deal that would freeze the war along the current front line, calling it the minimum needed from Russia today.

“Freeze and stop. And of course this is minimum what we need from Russia today.”

US-Ukraine tensions simmer

Trump said Ukraine needs a new president and somebody else to negotiate. Zelensky and Ukraine's allies criticised Trump's lifting of sanctions on Russia.

American prisoner released

Before talks began, Russia released Stephen Hubbard, a seventy four year old American citizen who had been given a jail sentence of nearly seven years for allegedly fighting for Ukraine.