Symbolic imageTrilateral Ukraine talks planned for November as Oleshky truce nears
Zelensky confirmed on Sunday that Russia, Ukraine and the US will meet in November. A local ceasefire in occupied Oleshky is due to begin on Tuesday.
In a television interview on Sunday, 25 October, Zelensky said Ukraine is ready to talk: territory is for leaders to settle, other issues for technical groups, and sanctions on Russia should stay until then. Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov said Putin told US envoy Steve Witkoff that Russia is ready to resume trilateral talks in the second ten days of November, after 4 November, and Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov named Abu Dhabi as a possible venue. Putin said the talks should produce security guarantees for both Russia and Ukraine and address European security as a whole.
Oleshky truce
Ukrainian ombudsman Dmytro Lubinets said he and his Russian counterpart Yana Lantratova agreed in an online call that the ceasefire starts on 27 October at 03:00 Kyiv time, which is 04:00 Moscow time. Zelensky said US, Ukrainian and Russian humanitarian missions will go to the city, that several days are needed, and that he expects Russia to try to steer residents toward Russia, while some should reach Ukrainian-held territory.
Moscow presses for an EU envoy
Peskov told TASS that the EU keeps talking about naming a negotiator but takes no action, and that Moscow would welcome one committed to a peaceful settlement. German and British press name Finnish President Alexander Stubb among candidates, but no EU decision is confirmed.