US envoy Witkoff meets Zelensky in Oslo, then delivers peace proposal to Putin
In short
US envoy Steve Witkoff met Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Oslo on 20 October to discuss ending the war, with Norwegian and Finnish leaders present. On 21 October he met Russian President Vladimir Putin in St Petersburg and handed over a document with a revised peace plan, and asked Putin to consider resuming US-Russia-Ukraine talks.
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US envoy Steve Witkoff met Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Oslo on 20 October (local time) to discuss ways to end the war, Yonhap and Newsis reported. Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store said Ukraine had asked for Witkoff and Jared Kushner, President Donald Trump's son-in-law, to join the meeting, and that the aim was to steer diplomatic efforts onto a constructive path. Kushner took part by video. [ 1 , 4 ]
Newsis, citing Ukrinform, reported that the talks covered ceasefire conditions and various proposals, and that Zelensky said afterwards they included security guarantees for Ukraine and reconstruction. Newsis, citing Axios and a US official, said the Oslo talks focused on a single framework agreement that included Ukraine's long-term security guarantees and postwar economic recovery. Representatives of Britain, France, Germany, Poland, the European Union and NATO also took part, according to Newsis. [ 3 , 4 ]
Zelensky said, according to the Kyiv Independent as cited by Newsis, that postwar security guarantees similar to NATO's Article 5 were discussed and that Witkoff would pass them to the Russian side. He asked for a three-way summit with Trump and Putin. A US official said Ukraine had put forward new ideas and that the parties had made meaningful progress. Finnish President Alexander Stubb said that working-level negotiations were advancing smoothly. [ 4 ]
On 21 October Witkoff met Putin at the Konstantin Palace in St Petersburg, according to TASS and other Russian agencies cited by Kukmin Ilbo and Kyunghyang Shinmun. He gave Putin a document containing the plan to end the war. In remarks broadcast on television, he said he wanted to discuss resuming three-way talks among the US, Russia and Ukraine so that officials could discuss the next steps towards a peace agreement. CNN reported that he asked Putin repeatedly to consider the idea. [ 7 , 8 ]
The two sides also discussed restoring economic cooperation. Putin said Russia could supply more fertiliser to the US, and Reuters reported that he showed interest in meeting Trump during the APEC summit in China next month. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Putin would review the US proposals during the talks, which he said would be serious and long. Before the visit, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Moscow would see what the US offered but that there would be no political concessions. [ 4 , 7 , 8 ]
The talks follow a period of worsening relations between Trump and Zelensky. Yonhap reported that Trump had said it was time for Ukraine to have a new president and that he was willing to discuss ending the war with the Russian and Chinese leaders without Zelensky. Newsis, citing the New York Times, reported that Ukraine's leadership had decided to respond publicly while continuing negotiations. Kukmin Ilbo said Russia has not accepted Zelensky's calls for a three-way summit, so it is uncertain whether it will respond to the US proposal. [ 1 , 5 , 7 ]
Why it matters
The two meetings come as relations between Zelensky and US President Donald Trump have worsened, and outlets describe the talks as a possible opening for direct US-Russia-Ukraine negotiations. Kukmin Ilbo, citing CNN, reported that the negotiations remain deadlocked, and Russia's response is not yet known.
Key facts
- Witkoff met Zelensky in Oslo on 20 October (local time) to discuss ending the war; Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store and Finnish President Alexander Stubb took part. [ 1 , 3 , 4 ]
- Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner joined the Oslo meeting by video. [ 1 , 4 ]
- Zelensky asked for a US-Russia-Ukraine summit of himself, Trump and Putin. [ 4 ]
- Witkoff met Putin on 21 October at the Konstantin Palace in St Petersburg and gave him a document with a plan to end the war. [ 7 , 8 ]
- Witkoff said he wanted to discuss resuming three-way talks involving the US, Russia and Ukraine. [ 7 , 8 ]
- Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said there would be no political concessions. [ 4 ]
Confirmed by several sources
- Witkoff met Zelensky in Oslo on 20 October and then travelled to Russia. [ 1 , 3 , 4 , 8 ]
- Witkoff met Putin in St Petersburg on 21 October and delivered a document on ending the war. [ 7 , 8 ]
- Kushner took part in the Oslo meeting by video. [ 1 , 4 ]
- Witkoff raised resuming US-Russia-Ukraine talks with Putin. [ 7 , 8 ]
Still unclear
- Whether Russia will accept a three-way summit or three-way talks. Kukmin Ilbo wrote that it is uncertain whether Russia will respond to the US proposal; Newsis said Russia has so far effectively refused to meet Zelensky unless he comes to Moscow.
- Whether Putin will meet Trump during the APEC summit in China next month. Kukmin Ilbo, citing Reuters, said Putin showed interest; Kyunghyang Shinmun said it was expected to be discussed. No document reports a decision.
- Yonhap's 22 October headline says the US envoys told Zelensky that Trump was furious at his criticism. Only the headline and a truncated summary are available, and no other document reports this.
- Putin's response to the proposals. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Putin would review the US proposals; no document gives a response.
What local media are saying
Timeline, local time
- Yonhap reports that Zelensky is to meet Witkoff in Oslo on 20 October. [ 1 ]
- On 21 October Newsis reports that Zelensky and Witkoff met in Oslo to coordinate ceasefire terms. [ 2 ]
- Newsis, citing Axios, reports that Witkoff is to give Putin a revised peace plan on 21 October. [ 4 ]
- Kukmin Ilbo reports that Witkoff has met Putin and delivered the document. [ 7 ]
- Kyunghyang Shinmun reports that Putin received the document at the Konstantin Palace. [ 8 ]