The key facts
- Steve Witkoff arrived in St. Petersburg on October 21 for a meeting with Putin; the main topic is the settlement of the Ukrainian conflict.
- Witkoff expressed hope for the resumption of trilateral talks between Russia, the US and Ukraine.
- The day before, in Oslo, the special envoy met with Zelensky and European leaders; the American side announced progress at the working level.
Meeting in St. Petersburg
US presidential special envoy Steve Witkoff arrived in St. Petersburg on October 21 for a meeting with Russian leader Vladimir Putin. According to Life.ru, the main topic of the talks will be the settlement of the Ukrainian conflict. Russian presidential aide Yuri Ushakov confirmed that the Ukrainian settlement will be the main topic of the meeting, which is taking place at the Constantine Palace. According to him, reaching agreements is not ruled out, but the Kremlin refused to predict the outcome in advance.
Hope for a trilateral format
The United States is counting on the resumption of trilateral talks with Russia and Ukraine on settling the conflict. During the meeting, Witkoff expressed hope that the Russian president would consider such a possibility. Earlier, Life.ru reported, citing Politico, that the American representative may propose to Putin a trilateral meeting with Donald Trump and Volodymyr Zelensky and hopes to prepare the ground for talks at the highest level.
Consultations in Oslo
Before his visit to Russia, Witkoff held talks with Volodymyr Zelensky and European leaders in Oslo. The participants discussed possible terms of a peace agreement, security guarantees for Ukraine and further diplomatic steps. The American side announced progress at the working level. Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre called the consultations constructive. According to Life.ru, after the meeting with Putin, Witkoff will return to the Europeans — Oslo is awaiting news from Russia.
Previous contacts
The previous meeting between Putin, Witkoff and Jared Kushner took place on September 5 and lasted more than three hours. The talks were then described as constructive, but the parties did not announce any specific agreements.
