New Delhi, Oct. 22 -- Russia said on October 21 that it was ready to resume trilateral talks with Ukraine and the United States after President Vladimir Putin met a U.S. envoy and freed a detained American, but Moscow played down the chances of a deal to end the conflict. U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff had flown to Russia from a meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Oslo on October 20, which was aimed at smoothing over a bitter rift between President Zelenskyy and President Trump. President Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner also took part in the talks with President Putin remotely.

Witkoff said that the Putin talks were constructive but there was still important work left to do. Discussions would continue between the U.S., Ukr...