Witkoff plans trip to Russia after talks with Zelenskyy in Oslo - Axios
Kyiv • UNN
Steve Witkoff will meet with Zelenskyy and European leaders in Oslo to prepare a peace proposal for Russia. After that he plans to meet with Putin.
U.S. Envoy Steve Witkoff is traveling to Oslo, Norway, on October 20 for talks with President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy and European leaders. After that, Witkoff plans to travel to Russia, where he expects to meet with Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin. Axios reports this, citing a U.S. official, writes UNN.
Details
The talks will bring together Ukraine, its European allies, and the United States, which seek to develop a peace proposal to present to Russia.
The talks in Oslo are expected to be attended by President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre, representatives of the E4 countries (the United Kingdom, France, Germany, and Poland), and EU and NATO officials.
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The U.S. official said that after Oslo, Witkoff also plans to travel to Russia, where he hopes to meet with Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin and present ideas developed in close consultation with Ukraine and its European partners.
Trump adviser Jared Kushner has the flu and will not attend the meeting in Oslo in person, but will participate virtually, the U.S. official said.
The planned meetings in Oslo are based on discussions held at Witkoff's Shell Bay club in the Miami area, where Zelenskyy committed to reviewing and advancing a number of proposals aimed at creating a path toward a comprehensive and lasting peace agreement, the U.S. official added.
The U.S. official said that representatives of the United States, Ukraine, and Europe had worked together over the past week to develop proposals.
"Steve and Jared also spoke with President Zelenskyy on Sunday to discuss progress and next steps," the U.S. official said.
The trip is also expected to include efforts to secure the release of Stephen Hubbard, a retired American teacher whom the United States says is being unlawfully detained in Russia.
What the discussions are focused on
The U.S. official said the discussions are focused on two parallel tracks:
- "securing Ukraine's future: establishing a sovereign, secure, and prosperous future for Ukraine, including credible security guarantees, European integration, and a comprehensive postwar economic structure that meets Ukraine's financial needs and creates opportunities for long-term growth and investment";
- "creating the conditions for lasting peace: developing a comprehensive proposal for Russia that would address the issues necessary to end the war, establish a new and sustainable security architecture between Russia and Europe, and explore opportunities for postwar economic cooperation".
"President Trump has begun an intensive process of developing a comprehensive peace proposal with Ukraine and Europe, and the next step is to determine whether this work can serve as the basis for serious negotiations with Russia," the U.S. official said.
"These discussions remain dynamic, and substantial work is still underway. President Trump's goal is clear: to stop the killing, end the war, and create the conditions for a lasting peace that benefits Ukraine, Russia, Europe, and the United States," he noted.