Witkoff urges trilateral talks in Russia
U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff met Russian President Vladimir Putin in St. Petersburg on Oct. 21 to discuss ending Russia’s war against Ukraine. This meeting follows discussions Witkoff held with President Volodymyr Zelensky and European allies in Oslo on Oct. 20. Witkoff urged Putin to consider resuming trilateral talks involving Ukraine, Russia, and the United States. "I hope you will consider the possibility of resuming trilateral talks between Ukraine, Russia, and the United States," Witkoff told Putin. Putin thanked U.S. President Donald Trump for his attention to resolving the war and asked Witkoff about the results of the talks in Norway. These diplomatic efforts occur as relations between Kyiv and Washington deteriorate, because Ukraine fears the U.S. uses military assistance and technology access to pressure Kyiv to halt strikes on Russian oil refineries. The Oslo discussions on Oct. 20 included Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store, who joined Zelensky to discuss peace proposals ahead of the Russian visit. Zelensky told reporters at a news conference in Norway that he hopes Witkoff will convey the proposals from Ukraine and Europe to Moscow and help arrange a meeting between the leaders of Ukraine, Russia, and the U.S.
Divergent peace proposals
Zelensky told Jonas Gahr Store and European allies that he hopes Witkoff conveys peace proposals from Ukraine and Europe to Moscow to help arrange a meeting. Trump questioned the necessity of a physical meeting between the leaders, stating, "They don’t have to be in the same room. I guess I can do it another way. It’s hard for them to be in the same room. I don’t care how it’s done." Clearly, the prospect of trilateral talks remains difficult because Putin reportedly pushes to meet Trump in China next month to secure a favorable peace deal without Ukraine at the table. Putin has long evaded a meeting with Zelensky. The Kremlin repeatedly rejects a ceasefire and demands that Kyiv surrender the partially occupied Donbas, a strategically important region in eastern Ukraine, where Moscow seeks territory that Russian forces have failed to capture militarily. The Kremlin demand for the Donbas contradicts Ukraine’s call for a ceasefire along the current front line.
