L to R: Vladimir Putin’s foreign policy advisor Yuri Ushakov, Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner, and real estate developer Steve Witkoff at the Kremlin, Moscow, Russia, December 2, 2025
Wednesday’s Coverage: Finland and Norway Leaders Speak With Putin
The Kremlin has stepped back from the resumption of technical talks with Ukraine, brokered by the US.
After Vladimir Putin’s 90-minute phone call with Norwegian and Finnish leaders on Tuesday, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk and other officials said the talks would take place in Abu Dhabi on November 4.
However, Putin’s foreign policy aide Yuri Ushakov said on Wednesday that Russia has not proposed a specific date for the talks.
It will also depend on the situation on the battlefield and the situation in general. You can see the situation now in the Middle East. It just doesn’t allow us to hold it in the near future. That’s my assumption.
Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky said he hoped the meeting would take place in Abu Dhabi between November 6 and 10.
Local Ceasefire Holds in Oleshky
A local ceasefire in Oleshky in southern Ukraine, where around 2,000 residents are being held by Russian occupiers, held for a second day on Wednesday.
“30 hours of the ceasefire in Oleshky have passed without a single incident,” said Ukraine’s human rights ombudsman Dmytro Lubinets. “No incidents have been recorded in the 30 hours of the ceasefire in Oleshky,” Russia’s Yana Lantratova echoed.
Lubinets said route demining is “currently under way” near the town in the Kherson region. It is a “crucial step toward ensuring the safe delivery of humanitarian aid and enabling civilians who wish to leave the city.”
Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that since the ceasefire came into force, there have been “no massive attacks” on Kherson city. “We’re happy even when we have two, three days for these people. You know, some ceasefire is great, you can see them in the streets.” The truce would be a “huge success” if the evacuation of Oleshky’s civilians proceeded.
