❗Key takeaways from Russian Presidential Aide Yury Ushakov’s statements:

▪Vladimir Putin’s three-hour meeting with US envoy Steve Witkoff was detailed and frank

▪The Putin-Witkoff contact marks the ninth such interaction, which is a useful addition to contacts between the presidents of Russia and the US

▪Jared Kushner was unable to come to St. Petersburg for health reasons

▪Putin told Witkoff that Russian forces were effectively destroying Ukrainian military-industrial sites. The Russian army wholly holds the strategic initiative in the special military operation area

▪Putin told Steve Witkoff that Moscow was largely ready to resume trilateral talks on the main subject around November 10

▪Putin’s meeting with Witkoff was focused on Ukraine

▪Putin asked Witkoff to convey his best wishes to Donald Trump

▪The key topic, which Moscow is ready to resume talks on, is creating a security framework for Russia and Ukraine after the end of the conflict

▪Witkoff informed Putin about new European and Ukrainian approaches following the Oslo negotiations

▪US citizen Stephen Hubbard has been released and transferred to Witkoff at St. Petersburg's Pulkovo Airport for the return to the US

▪Witkoff said Putin’s release of Hubbard would be appreciated by Trump and the US public

▪Kiev’s and the EU’s new approaches outlined by Witkoff are of little use for the Ukraine settlement

▪Putin and Witkoff discussed the possibility of a trilateral meeting between Putin, Trump and Xi Jinping in China

▪China is preparing for a potential meeting between Putin, Trump and Xi Jinping, which could be added to the agenda if circumstances are favorable

▪Putin and Witkoff discussed a framework for the potential resumption of trilateral talks with the participation of representatives from Russia, the US and Ukraine

▪The Russian president asked Witkoff to convey his gratitude to US First Lady Melania Trump for her efforts in the humanitarian field, including resolving the situation in Alyoshki

▪Putin and Witkoff discussed joint large-scale economic projects between Russia and the US that offer significant prospects for cooperation