U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff met Russian President Vladimir Putin in St. Petersburg on Wednesday after what American and European officials described as constructive talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Oslo the previous day.
A U.S. official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the Oslo discussions included Zelenskyy, the leaders of Norway and Finland, and European and NATO representatives, yielding “meaningful progress” toward a coordinated approach to engaging Russia. The talks covered security guarantees for Ukraine, a post-war economic plan, and a broader European security architecture, with Witkoff aiming to “create a pathway toward direct trilateral and broader multilateral negotiations” .
Zelenskyy confirmed Ukraine had presented new proposals in Oslo and thanked Washington for resuming early warnings of Russian missile attacks, which he called “very, very important for our people.” He and U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio also discussed supplies of Patriot missile interceptors and the Starlink satellite system, which Kyiv said had previously stopped working on fast-moving objects like drones .
Norway’s Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre and Finnish President Alexander Stubb both characterized the Oslo meeting as positive. Støre said Witkoff would relay the proposals to Russian leadership in St. Petersburg, while Stubb stated, “I think the peace process is back on track” .
Witkoff’s meeting with Putin included the participation of Russian special envoy Kirill Dmitriev and Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner, who joined virtually, according to a U.S. official . Russian state media reported Witkoff landed in St. Petersburg on Wednesday morning .
Zelenskyy reiterated Ukraine’s readiness for a trilateral meeting with the U.S. and Russia and said he expected feedback from Witkoff after the St. Petersburg discussions. He also emphasized the need for “Article 5-like” security guarantees, which Rubio confirmed the U.S. had reaffirmed as strong .
