Kremlin says another round of trilateral Ukraine talks will happen 'very soon' with no date set

The Kremlin said on 4 November that another round of trilateral talks on ending Russia's war in Ukraine would take place "very soon", but it did not give a date. Dmitry Peskov, Vladimir Putin's spokesman, told reporters there was "some groundwork in place" for another round.

Peskov dismissed questions about the new Congress, which Democrats were projected to control in January after Tuesday's midterms, as "America's internal affair". "Trump remains in office, and we sincerely hope that he will continue his peace efforts," he said, according to the Kyiv Post.

No date and no European seats

Yuri Ushakov, Putin's foreign policy adviser, said on 29 October that the next round could be held in Abu Dhabi after 4 November. He told Interfax that timing would depend on "the situation on the battlefield and the overall situation". "We have not sent any signals yet," he said, adding that the Russian delegation had not been finalised.

Ushakov also ruled out European participation. "There is absolutely no discussion of that at this stage, and no one is planning to invite them to the negotiating table," he said.

Volodymyr Zelensky said in an interview with The Sun published on 28 October that talks could start on 10 November. He said he had proposed holding a meeting on Sunday but decided to wait until voting in the US had concluded. He also said he hoped escalation in the Middle East would not get in the way.

The possible 10 November start would be less than a week after Peskov spoke and about six weeks after a previous round was called off. That round had been planned for late September after Russia's State Duma elections; the Kremlin accused Ukraine of attacks on election day and called it off.

What the earlier talks produced

The prospect of returning to talks was discussed on 21 October, when Trump envoy Steve Witkoff met Putin in St Petersburg for three hours. Witkoff had met Zelensky and European officials in Oslo the previous day, then presented the Russian side with a document outlining options for a settlement and security guarantees, according to NV.

No agreement emerged on territory, a ceasefire or security arrangements. Ushakov said the Oslo proposals contained "little useful substance" and that "these nuances, so to speak, do not entirely satisfy us".

Moscow's demands have not changed. The BBC reported that Russia wants a full Ukrainian withdrawal from the whole Donbas, made up of Donetsk and Luhansk, and recognition of Russian sovereignty over the region. Moscow also wants Ukraine outside NATO. Zelensky said the Oslo discussions covered NATO, Article 5 and an "Article 5 light" option.

What happens next

Ushakov has not confirmed the 10 November date, and no venue has been confirmed beyond the possible Abu Dhabi location. If held, the meeting would be the first in-person negotiations involving Ukraine, the US and Russia since Trump eased sanctions against Russia, the Kyiv Post reported.