The key facts
- Peskov: “I don’t know yet. Let’s wait for the results of the contacts here”
- Witkoff arrived in St. Petersburg on October 21; Jared Kushner was unable to come due to illness
- Oslo discussions covered territorial issues, security guarantees, and possible sanctions relief
The Kremlin does not know about the continuation of contacts
The Kremlin cannot yet say whether there will be another meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and US special envoy Steve Witkoff after his return to Oslo. This was stated to Vesti news agency journalist Pavel Zarubin by the press secretary of the Russian leader, Dmitry Peskov. “I don’t know yet. Let’s wait for the results of the contacts here,” he replied when asked about the possible continuation of Russian-American consultations, referring to the talks in St. Petersburg.
The format of shuttle diplomacy
Peskov recalled that this format involves shuttle diplomacy: American representatives hold meetings with one side, then pass the proposals received to the other side and return for further discussion.
Visit to St. Petersburg
Witkoff arrived in St. Petersburg on October 21 after talks with Volodymyr Zelensky and European leaders in Norway. After his conversation with Putin, he plans to travel back to Oslo to inform the participants of the previous meeting about the results of the contacts with Moscow. The meeting at the Konstantinovsky Palace was agreed upon several days ago; presidential aide Yuri Ushakov emphasized its planned nature. On the Russian side, the head of the RDIF, Kirill Dmitriev, is also taking part in the discussions. Jared Kushner was unable to come to St. Petersburg due to illness.
Outcomes of the Oslo talks
The day before, Finnish President Alexander Stubb reported on the progress achieved in Oslo and the proposals prepared for settling the Ukrainian conflict. According to him, the American delegation is to present to the Russian leadership ideas agreed upon with Kyiv and European partners. Among the issues discussed were territorial disputes, security guarantees, and possible sanctions relief.
