Oslo, October 20: Zelenskyy Says Witkoff Will Deliver Security Guarantee Proposals for Ukraine to Russia

On October 20, 2026, a meeting of delegations from Ukraine, the United States, and European nations took place in Oslo, where the parties discussed ways to end the war and, specifically, the issue of security guarantees for Ukraine. This was stated by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at a press conference following the talks, according to RBC-Ukraine. The meeting was attended by the Ukrainian, American, and European sides and focused primarily on security mechanisms and potential formats for halting hostilities.

“They Will Be Strong”: Zelenskyy on the U.S. Position

According to the president, the American side expressed readiness to play the role of a security guarantor. “I am grateful to the Americans for saying they will be strong,” Zelenskyy noted. He listed the formats of proposals under discussion: NATO membership, the invocation of Article 5 of the North Atlantic Treaty, and guarantees “of the Article 5 type”—meaning commitments that are logically close to collective defense, yet distinct from it.

Three Forms of Guarantees and Steve Witkoff’s Role

Zelenskyy emphasized that security guarantees can take various forms—“on paper,” in the form of a specific document, and in the form that U.S. Presidential Special Envoy Steve Witkoff will transmit to the Russian side. According to RBC-Ukraine, this delivery is scheduled as part of Witkoff’s meeting with Vladimir Putin on October 21 in St. Petersburg. Thus, according to the Ukrainian president, this very document will become the key artifact presented to Moscow.

Finland’s Position: Stubb on “Real Progress”

Finnish President Alexander Stubb, commenting on the day's results, stated that the negotiations in Oslo had achieved real progress. According to him, discussions focused on missile and air defense, the protection of energy facilities, and the possibility of a partial ceasefire—including in the areas of energy and food security. In Stubb’s assessment, these topics formed the practical core of the meeting's discussions.

What This Means for the Negotiation Track

The meeting in Oslo became another stage in multilateral consultations involving the Ukrainian, American, and European sides simultaneously. As follows from the statements by Zelenskyy and Stubb, the focus of discussion has shifted from general declarations to concrete mechanisms: forms of security guarantees, protection of critical infrastructure, and local ceasefire regimes. The further course of negotiations is essentially tied to Steve Witkoff's contacts with the Russian side scheduled for October 21 in St. Petersburg, where, according to Zelenskyy, he is to deliver proposals on security guarantees to Moscow.