Russia agrees to resume trilateral peace talks with Ukraine as strikes continue

Technical negotiations could be held in Abu Dhabi in mid-November, and US envoy Steve Witkoff secured the release of US detainee Stephen Hubbard.

Russia has agreed to resume trilateral peace talks with Ukraine. The Kremlin said new talks may be held in Abu Dhabi, and technical negotiations could take place there in mid-November. A US official said Russia accepted a US proposal for a trilateral meeting with Ukraine.

Witkoff secured the release of Stephen Hubbard, a US detainee. He also discussed Russian diesel shipments. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he supports the US proposal for trilateral talks at the level of negotiators. He called his talks with Witkoff very productive.

Russian strikes on Ukraine continued. They killed 2 people and injured 34. Concerns persist that Moscow's participation may not lead to a ceasefire, and that US-Russia negotiations could sideline Kyiv and Europe. A German government spokesperson said contacts with Washington suggest American interest in a negotiation process.

The Kremlin first suggested Abu Dhabi as a venue days before this agreement, so the step follows a venue Moscow had already named. Earlier in October, Russia also agreed in principle to a trilateral or technical format, and a US hostage release was presented as goodwill. Russian President Vladimir Putin said eastern Ukraine is historically Russian land. Moscow's demand for the rest of Donbas has not changed. The strikes continued on the same day as the agreement.