Ukraine assesses the chances of achieving a so-called energy truce following the new round of negotiations and the visit of US President's special envoy Steve Witkoff to Russia as unlikely. This was stated by an anonymous source familiar with Kyiv's position. According to him, the Ukrainian side will consider a realistic and "successful" outcome of Witkoff's meeting with Vladimir Putin primarily the unfreezing of the negotiation track at the delegation level, and ideally – obtaining political consent for any de-escalation measures.
What Kyiv Considers a Success of the Visit
The source emphasized that the wording "truce" is poorly perceived by the Russian side: in Moscow, according to his assessment, they believe that Russia currently holds the advantage and therefore see no point in granting a pause. From this, the interlocutor says, stems the main idea of the Ukrainian position – "everyone calm down" and move to a managed process of achieving peace through negotiations. To do this, as the source noted, basic confidence-building measures are necessary, since there is "total mistrust" between the parties.
Why Russia Is Not Ready for a Pause
According to the same source's assessment, even such simple things as contact at the level of technical delegations, which previously could be organized in 48 hours, have now turned into an "event" requiring discussion at the Security Council level. This, according to him, clearly demonstrates the depth of mutual mistrust and explains why even basic steps are difficult. That is why Kyiv does not factor in expectations of a prompt cessation of attacks on energy infrastructure and focuses on restoring working communication channels.
Timelines and Priorities Before Congressional Elections
The interlocutor pointed out that before the US Congressional elections on November 3, the maximum achievement on the political track will be the reactivation of the negotiation track. At the same time, in the humanitarian sphere, he said, good news may appear earlier — in particular, regarding the situation in occupied Oleshky. Thus, the Ukrainian side separates the political and humanitarian agendas, expecting progress on the second one faster than on the first.
Format of Future Contacts and Europe's Role
Following the negotiations with Putin, Witkoff, according to the source, will call the Ukrainian side, and then Ukrainian negotiators will pass the latest information to European security advisors by phone. Kyiv is interested in ensuring that a potential new meeting at the delegation level — the source named Abu Dhabi as an example — takes place with the participation not only of the Ukrainian, American, and Russian sides, but also of European partners actively involved in all recent contacts.
Course of Witkoff's Visit to St. Petersburg
Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff arrived in St. Petersburg on October 21. According to Russian media reports, the American plane landed at Pulkovo airport in the morning, where he was met by Putin's special representative Kirill Dmitriev; subsequently, both went to the Konstantinovsky Palace, where negotiations are to take place. The US has not yet commented on the arrival. The main topic of conversation between Witkoff and Putin is expected to be the war against Ukraine. The day before in Oslo, Volodymyr Zelenskyy met with Trump's negotiators; according to Finnish President Alexander Stubb, who participated in the meeting, the parties worked out elements of a peaceful settlement that they plan to present in St. Petersburg. Earlier, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov stated that Moscow hopes to meet with Witkoff in the near future, who will be able to tell Putin about conversations with Ukrainians and Europeans.
