Russia's deputy foreign minister, Sergei Ryabkov, said on Thursday that a possible meeting between Vladimir Putin, Volodymyr Zelensky and Donald Trump is "under discussion," according to Sky TG24. The remark came a day after Moscow said it was prepared to restart three-way negotiations with Kyiv and Washington in November, most likely in Abu Dhabi, following talks between Putin and US envoy Steve Witkoff in St Petersburg. Zelensky has meanwhile proposed halting the fighting along the current front line as a step toward opening talks.
Why it matters
The statements are the clearest sign in months that all three capitals are at least examining a diplomatic track, even as fighting continues at high intensity. Any freeze along the front line would leave large areas of Ukraine under Russian control, a concession Kyiv has previously resisted. For Washington, a three-way summit would put Trump directly at the table with both leaders for the first time.
Trump said the sides were nearing the end of the war and suggested this might be the closest point yet, according to Sky TG24. The Atlantic reported that the US president is aiming for a signed agreement at the G20 summit in Miami in mid-December.
Missiles over Kyiv and drones over Moscow
The diplomatic signals have not been matched on the ground. Zelensky said on social media that Russia fired three waves of ballistic missiles at Kyiv overnight, 21 missiles in total, damaging sites across the city including a monastery. He used the word "compassionate" sarcastically, a reference to Witkoff's description of Putin. Zelensky added that the strikes came almost immediately after another round of talks, which in his view showed Moscow's approach had not really changed.
Ukrainian authorities, cited by local media, reported at least nine deaths and 56 injuries across the country in the previous 24 hours after a large-scale attack with missiles and drones that focused on Kyiv, including the historic centre. Russia's defence ministry said it downed 808 Ukrainian drones overnight. Moscow's mayor described the drone attack on the capital as the largest since the start of the year.
The casualty figures come from Ukrainian officials and have not been independently verified.
A prisoner released, and a phrase that caused an uproar
Russia released a US citizen, Hubbard, who had been held for four years on accusations of fighting as a mercenary for Kyiv. Witkoff thanked Putin and called him "compassionate," a remark that drew criticism in the United States. The same day brought a first tanker carrying Russian diesel toward the US, a detail Zelensky later seized on.
In an interview with CNN, Zelensky said there was nothing personal between him and Trump but that courting Putin only strengthens the Russian president. He argued Trump had moved to the wrong side of history with the announced deal to buy Russian fuel, and said lifting sanctions would make Putin stronger. "There is nothing personal between me and President Trump," he said, according to the interview, adding that he simply opposes easing the sanctions.
Starlink restrictions eased after a call to Musk
The Wall Street Journal, citing US officials, reported that Trump phoned Elon Musk and asked him to lift restrictions the SpaceX chief had placed on the military version of Starlink used in Ukraine. Shortly after the call, the system was working more normally, according to US and Ukrainian officials. Some Ukrainian officials said full capacity had not been restored, though they reported speeds above what the earlier limits allowed.
Finland signs a package in a shelter
Finland's prime minister, Petteri Orpo, visited Kyiv and signed cooperation agreements worth 300 million euros, Zelensky announced on Telegram. Seven documents were signed and Helsinki offered a new aid package. Zelensky said the two sides agreed to make more use of Finland's satellite capabilities, naming Nokia and Iceye, and thanked Orpo for readiness to support logistics and energy, which he called key Russian targets at the moment.
During a visit to a school in the capital, Orpo was moved to an air-raid shelter because of a ballistic missile alert, according to the Finnish news agency Stt. The Finnish government said he had come to show Finland's firm support as the war continues and the country prepares for winter, and to back the reforms Ukraine needs to advance toward EU membership. Helsinki says it has given Ukraine about 5 billion euros since the war began, including 3.6 billion in defence materiel.
What to watch
Whether the November talks in Abu Dhabi are confirmed, and whether Zelensky's proposal to freeze the front line gains any traction in Moscow, will show if the diplomatic opening is real. The G20 in Miami in mid-December is the next marker Trump's team appears to be working toward.
