Witkoff heads to Oslo to meet Zelensky, then to Russia for Putin – the new joint US, Ukraine and Europe proposal

White House special envoy Steve Witkoff is travelling to Oslo for a meeting on Tuesday, October 20 with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, and then plans to go to Russia, where he hopes to meet Vladimir Putin. The trip was revealed by Axios correspondent Barak Ravid, citing a US official, and Reuters confirmed it from its own sources. In Moscow Witkoff wants to present ideas developed “in close coordination with Ukraine and our European partners”.

Taking part in the Oslo meeting, besides Zelensky, are Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre, representatives of Britain, France, Germany and Poland, and of the EU and NATO. The aim is “to continue alignment on a comprehensive proposal that can be the basis for new negotiations with Russia”. Jared Kushner has the flu and will join online. The meeting builds on the talks at Shell Bay in Florida, where Zelensky committed to consider and advance a series of proposals.

“President Trump has launched an intensive process to draw up a comprehensive peace proposal with Ukraine and Europe, and the next step is to test whether this work can be the basis for serious negotiations with Russia,” the US official said. “Discussions remain fluid and significant work remains,” he added, with Trump’s goal being “to stop the killing and end the war”. The trip also includes an effort to secure the release of American Stephen Hubbard, held in Russia since 2022.

Zelensky: peace through strength

Zelensky spoke on Saturday with Witkoff and Kushner about the results of the teams’ meeting in Florida, writing that “peace comes only through strength and cooperation built on trust” and that the “next steps in diplomacy” are being prepared. On Monday Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Moscow greatly appreciates the American mediation efforts.

Tension between Washington and Kyiv

The trip comes at a time of tension between Washington and Kyiv. Trump said it may be “time for someone else to negotiate on behalf of Ukraine”, while Zelensky accused the American side of moves to force Ukraine to capitulate, as we reported. At the same time Putin has proposed a trilateral meeting with Trump and Xi on Ukraine. Witkoff and Kushner had met Putin in the Kremlin on September 5 and Zelensky in Kyiv the next day.