Politics
Witkoff to Take U.S. Peace Proposal to Putin as Trump-Zelenskyy Summit Is Floated
U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff is due in St. Petersburg on Wednesday to discuss peace terms with Russian officials and propose direct talks among Vladimir Putin, Donald Trump and Volodymyr Zelenskyy. The summit is only a possibility for now, with territory and security guarantees still unresolved.
U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff is scheduled to travel to St. Petersburg on Wednesday to present Russian officials with peace proposals that could lead to a face-to-face meeting among President Donald Trump, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
The plan was announced Tuesday in Oslo after talks between Witkoff and Zelenskyy hosted by Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre. If it happens, the three-leader summit would be the first of its kind since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. No meeting has been agreed to, and the Kremlin has previously said Putin would meet Zelenskyy only in Moscow.
Støre described the Oslo discussions as constructive and said Witkoff would take ideas developed by American and European officials to Russia. He said the visit could help clear a path to talks at the leaders’ level.
Zelenskyy said the day’s discussions had been positive, but stressed that Ukraine must help shape any settlement. Questions over the future of Ukrainian territory, he said, would have to be resolved by national leaders, and any deal would need credible security guarantees.
The proposed diplomatic push follows a period of heightened tension between Kyiv and the Trump administration. Whether Moscow will consider the offer—or accept a format that includes Zelenskyy—remains uncertain.