World
US envoys carry Ukraine proposals to Putin after Oslo talks
Parallel negotiations give Washington greater control over Ukraine’s peace process
Parallel negotiations give Washington greater control over Ukraine’s peace process
Ukraine is trying to use renewed U.S. pressure to find a way to end the war. In Oslo, President Volodymyr Zelensky had productive talks with Donald Trump’s envoy , while joined remotely. Witkoff is expected to take new Ukrainian and European proposals to Vladimir Putin in Moscow, with Kushner joining by video. The envoys met Putin before but announced no breakthrough, and Russia has rejected political concessions. has reportedly resumed, tying battlefield support to Washington’s demand for peace talks. Disputes remain over territory, ceasefire terms, and . Ukraine wants a formal role, but the informal U.S. process could move faster while weakening Kyiv’s influence and leaving Europe’s role uncertain.
Steve Witkoff was expected to travel to Russia on October 21 to brief Vladimir Putin on proposals discussed during the Oslo talks. Russian officials said Moscow would hear the U.S. message, while Sergei Lavrov ruled out . No publicly announced ceasefire agreement or breakthrough had been reported.
After the Oslo talks, Witkoff was expected to travel to St. Petersburg to meet Vladimir Putin and present an updated proposal. Kushner was expected to participate by video. The planned handoff showed how the was being used to run rather than a single formal negotiation.
Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store, Finnish President Alexander Stubb, and representatives from European countries, , and the European Union took part in or supported the Oslo process. Zelensky said Ukraine had to be present in negotiations about its own future. The expanded format gave Europe a role while leaving unresolved the terms of territory, security guarantees, and a .
Zelensky met Witkoff in Oslo for talks that officials described as productive and constructive, while Kushner joined remotely. The discussions involved Ukrainian proposals and key parts of a possible , including , economic arrangements, and .
Volodymyr Zelensky said U.S. had resumed after a brief interruption, helping Ukraine defend against Russian missile strikes. He also said he had spoken with Donald Trump’s envoys and about continuing diplomatic contacts. U.S. officials disputed that Washington had changed its intelligence-sharing policy.