At a meeting of delegations from Ukraine, the US, and European countries held in Norway, new elements for a peaceful settlement of the conflict with Russia were developed. This was stated by Finnish President Alexander Stubb at a press conference following the talks, noting that the initiatives found will be presented to the Russian side.
Progress at two levels
According to Stubb, the negotiations made real progress on two levels simultaneously — in the short term and in a broader context. "We have found some elements of a peace settlement that will be presented tomorrow in St. Petersburg," the Finnish president added, referring to the meeting between US Presidential Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and Vladimir Putin.
Agenda: Air defense, energy, and partial truces
Discussions, Stubb said, focused on key issues: air defense, energy facilities, and partial ceasefires, including in the areas of energy and food security. At a technical level, he emphasized, the parties are in agreement.
Context: Disputes surrounding the energy truce
Recall that Russia has repeatedly rejected proposals from Ukraine and the US for an energy truce. Previously, US President Donald Trump claimed that Kyiv and Moscow had agreed to stop energy strikes; however, as it turned out, the parties had not agreed to such a truce. While Ukraine did suspend strikes on Russian oil refineries, Russia continued attacks on Ukraine's energy infrastructure. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov stated that "there will be no ceasefire," explaining that during a truce, Ukraine would be "pumped with weapons."
Timelines and expectations
Commenting on the process's dynamics, Stubb noted: "In my experience, peace requires patience, but unfortunately, war does not wait. People are dying every day. Our task is to do everything possible to put an end to this. And I think that today was a step in the right direction." Thus, the elements of settlement found in Norway should become the basis for further contacts with the Russian side at the upcoming negotiations.
