Putin agrees to resume peace talks as Zelenskyy signals openness to ‘freeze’ front lines
Diplomatic efforts to end the war may be gaining momentum after Russian President Vladimir Putin held talks with U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff. In an interview with Brian Kilmeade, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he would consider freezing current front lines if Ukraine received firm security guarantees. Will Thibeau, director of the American Military Project, examined the latest developments on Fox & Friends First.
The United States plans to facilitate another round of Ukraine-Russia negotiations next week, with the broader objective of creating what U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff described Monday as “lasting security for generations to come.”
Witkoff said the U.S.-brokered discussions are scheduled for Nov. 10 and 11 in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.
“The United States will mediate working-level negotiations between Ukraine and Russia on November 10–11 in Abu Dhabi, advancing President Trump’s mission to end the war,” Witkoff wrote on X. He said the agenda would include postwar security plans, efforts to reduce tensions, humanitarian issues and the next steps toward a peace agreement.
The United States is preparing to mediate Ukraine-Russia peace negotiations next week. (AP Photo/Efrem Lukatsky)
Before those talks begin, U.S. negotiators are expected to meet in Brussels this week with officials from France, Germany, the United Kingdom, the European Union and NATO.
The Brussels meetings will center on potential security guarantees for Ukraine, Europe’s future security framework and economic initiatives aimed at helping rebuild the country, Witkoff said.
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The next round of negotiations is set for Nov. 10 and 11 in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. (Gavriil Grigorov/Pool Sputnik Kremlin via AP)
The latest U.S. diplomatic push follows earlier meetings in Kyiv, Oslo and St. Petersburg. The Trump administration has continued working to broker an end to the conflict that began with Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
“We look forward to building on the progress made in Kyiv, Oslo, and St. Petersburg toward a comprehensive, durable peace agreement that delivers lasting security for generations to come,” Witkoff said.
The new U.S. initiative follows previous diplomatic contacts in Kyiv, Oslo and St. Petersburg. (Gavriil Grigorov/Sputnik/Kremlin Pool Photo via AP)
The announcement follows President Donald Trump’s remarks last month that negotiations were “maybe now the closest we’ve been” to resolving the war. Trump also said he believed both Ukraine and Russia were seeking an end to the prolonged conflict, which has produced years of fighting and significant casualties.