Putin says renewed Ukraine talks must cover security guarantees and Europe's security framework

Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Thursday that future talks on ending the war in Ukraine should focus on security guarantees for both Russia and Ukraine and on an overall framework for security across Europe. Speaking on Russian state television a day after meeting US special envoy Steve Witkoff, he confirmed Russia is ready to resume US-mediated talks with Ukraine next month.Sources:1Reuters (via The Moscow Times): Putin Says Renewed Peace Talks Must Focus on Security for Russia, Ukraine and Europe Overall, Reuters (via The Moscow Times), 23 October 2026 (source, opens in a new tab)

Putin said agreements must ensure security "after reaching peace agreements, in their final form", signalling that Moscow wants a lasting settlement rather than a short-lived ceasefire. He said Witkoff had stressed that talks must also cover the architecture of European security as a whole, and that he agreed.Sources:1Reuters (via The Moscow Times): Putin Says Renewed Peace Talks Must Focus on Security for Russia, Ukraine and Europe Overall, Reuters (via The Moscow Times), 23 October 2026 (source, opens in a new tab)

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who met Witkoff in Norway on Tuesday, said talks would likely take place by early next month and that Ukraine supports proposals for a ceasefire, an end to the war, an energy ceasefire and humanitarian initiatives. The main gap remains territory: Russia demands all of the Donbas region, which Putin called "the territory of historical Russia", while Kyiv refuses to give up land it holds.Sources:1Reuters (via The Moscow Times): Putin Says Renewed Peace Talks Must Focus on Security for Russia, Ukraine and Europe Overall, Reuters (via The Moscow Times), 23 October 2026 (source, opens in a new tab)

During Witkoff's visit to St Petersburg on 21 October, Putin announced the release of jailed US citizen Stephen Hubbard. On 23 October the Kremlin's spokesman Dmitry Peskov said reports that Hubbard was freed in exchange for a Russian war blogger were false; Trump has said there was no swap.Sources:1Reuters (via The Moscow Times): Putin Says Renewed Peace Talks Must Focus on Security for Russia, Ukraine and Europe Overall, Reuters (via The Moscow Times), 23 October 2026 (source, opens in a new tab)2Just Security (summarising Reuters): Early Edition: October 23, 2026, Just Security (summarising Reuters), 23 October 2026 (source, opens in a new tab)