Russian President Vladimir Putin has agreed in principle to resume trilateral peace negotiations with Ukraine and the United States in November, raising fresh hopes of a diplomatic breakthrough in the nearly four-year war. The Kremlin announced the development on Wednesday, October 21, following a meeting between Putin and US President Donald Trump’s special envoy, Steve Witkoff, in St Petersburg, Russia. Putin’s foreign affairs adviser, Yuri Ushakov, said the talks could resume after November 10, with discussions expected to focus on establishing a post-war security system for Russia and Ukraine. The proposed negotiations come as Trump intensifies efforts to end the conflict, which began with Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. However, the agreement to resume talks does not mean a peace deal is imminent, as major disagreements remain over territorial control, Ukraine’s security guarantees and its future relationship with NATO. Ushakov indicated that Moscow remained unconvinced by some proposals presented by Ukraine and European countries, suggesting that significant diplomatic obstacles still lie ahead. Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has continued pushing for high-level negotiations to resolve the conflict while seeking firm security guarantees to protect his country against future Russian aggression. The planned talks could provide a new opportunity for Washington, Moscow and Kyiv to address the outstanding issues, although their success will depend on whether the parties can find common ground on the terms for ending the war. For now, fighting continues, and the proposed November negotiations represent a renewed diplomatic effort rather than a confirmed end to hostilities.