The key facts
- Witkoff held meetings in Oslo with Zelensky and the Europeans, then with Putin in St Petersburg
- The Kremlin will only allow technical talks in Abu Dhabi next month
- Ushakov: there was little 'useful' in the approaches from Kyiv and Europe; a possible meeting between Putin, Trump and Xi at the APEC summit is being discussed
Two Days of Diplomacy Without a Breakthrough
After two days of diplomacy — in the Norwegian capital and in St Petersburg — the war in Ukraine has not come any closer to ending, writes BBC Russia editor Steve Rosenberg. The Prime Minister of Norway described Tuesday's talks between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, US President Donald Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff and European representatives as 'good and constructive'. In Oslo, the idea of a trilateral meeting at leaders' level was discussed, and the hope was that Witkoff's visit to Russia would pave the way for a meeting between Putin, Zelensky and Trump to agree a ceasefire.
The Kremlin: Technical Level Only
However, according to Rosenberg's observation, Putin shows no desire to sit at the same table with Zelensky — unless the table is in Moscow. The Kremlin said it was ready to resume trilateral talks next month in Abu Dhabi, but only at a technical level. Witkoff himself admitted in a post on X that 'important work remains to be done', adding that 'President Trump remains committed to ending this war'.
Ushakov Is Sceptical
Rosenberg called the statement by Putin's foreign policy aide Yuri Ushakov, who took part in the St Petersburg talks, the most telling remark of the day. According to him, Witkoff told Putin about the discussions in Oslo and 'new approaches from the Europeans and Kyiv'. Ushakov responded sceptically: 'In terms of settling the Ukrainian crisis, there was little useful there.' Asked by Russian state TV about the prospects for peace, he answered evasively: 'I don't know how close we are getting, but things are moving in that direction.'
Moscow's and Trump's Position
In Rosenberg's assessment, Putin currently feels no pressure forcing him to end the war: he knows about the heavy strain on Ukraine's air defences, about the approaching winter, which he may see as an opportunity to pressure Ukraine, and about a US president who clearly wants broader and more advantageous relations with Moscow. In recent days, Trump has suspended part of the sanctions against Moscow, agreed to buy Russian diesel and harshly criticised Zelensky. Russian MP and TV presenter Yevgeny Popov said: 'Right now Trump is the only leader of the Western world who is doing something for peace.' When Rosenberg asked a clarifying question — 'peace on your terms?' — he replied: 'Of course!'
A 'New Yalta'?
A trilateral meeting between Putin, Zelensky and Trump is unlikely to take place any time soon. However, next month in China, on the sidelines of the APEC summit, a meeting between Putin, Trump and Xi Jinping may take place. Some commentators in Russia are already calling it a 'New Yalta' — by analogy with the 1945 conference where Stalin, Churchill and Roosevelt planned the political and territorial reshaping of post-war Europe. 'Russia, China and the USA are the only superpowers in the world today. Of course, it would be good for the whole world if our leaders met in China,' Popov said. According to Rosenberg's conclusion, after almost five years of war, this would put Putin exactly where he wants to be — at the top table of world politics.
Image source, Getty Images Witkoff (R) said there was still important work to do after the meeting with Putin (L)
Image source, Getty Images Despite a 'constructive' meeting between Witkoff and Zelensky in Oslo, Norway, the idea of a US-Russia-Ukraine trilateral summit does not seem to have taken hold
