Following talks in Oslo on October 20, 2026, U.S. Special Envoy Steve Vitkoff is heading to St. Petersburg, where he intends to discuss proposals for ending the war in Ukraine with the Russian leadership. According to Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre, who hosted the sides of the meeting, the trip could become a step toward organizing contacts at the leadership level — Donald Trump, Volodymyr Zelensky, and Vladimir Putin. Thus, the visit to St. Petersburg is positioned not as a formal exchange of views, but as a stage for handing over specific terms of a peaceful settlement to Moscow.
Oslo as a Starting Point
On October 20, Vitkoff arrived in Norway for talks with Volodymyr Zelensky and European leaders. Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre told reporters after the meeting that the U.S. special envoy will fly to St. Petersburg on October 21, where he will meet with the Russian leadership and «exchange ideas obtained during this meeting and proposals worked on by European and American colleagues», and perhaps «pave the way for a leadership-level meeting». Norway acted as a venue for these contacts, hosting both sides.
What Vitkoff is Bringing to St. Petersburg
According to statements following the talks, Vitkoff will hand over to Moscow the developments worked out jointly by representatives of the U.S. and European countries, including proposals on security guarantees for Ukraine. Volodymyr Zelensky emphasized after the negotiations that precisely such proposals will be handed over to the Russian side. This means that the visit to St. Petersburg is viewed as the transfer of a ready package of conditions, rather than the beginning of discussions from scratch.
Zelensky's Position: The Leadership Triad
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky noted after the talks the importance of a possible trilateral meeting with Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin, stating that there are issues that can only be resolved directly by state leaders. At the same time, he emphasized the dependence of further steps on the position of the Russian side: «Steve is going to Russia tomorrow, and let's see what Putin says.» The wording emphasizes that the initiative in Oslo is not unilateral and requires Moscow's consent.
Different Approaches to the Negotiation Format
Earlier, Donald Trump suggested that to achieve a peace agreement, Vladimir Putin and Volodymyr Zelensky do not necessarily have to meet in person, and agreements could be attempted to be reached through other means. The emphasis on the personal triad of leaders voiced in Oslo reflects a clarification of the approach: formally, a personal meeting is not considered a mandatory condition for a peace agreement, but is viewed as a possible and desirable format for resolving key issues.
Context: Previous Attempts and Tension
According to 24tv, previous attempts to organize a personal meeting between Putin and Zelensky yielded no results, and recently the Kremlin insisted that such a meeting could take place exclusively in Moscow. The meeting in Oslo took place against the backdrop of high tension in relations between Ukraine and the U.S. President that has lasted for several days. If the trilateral summit takes place, it will be the first such format since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, which gives Vitkoff's visit to St. Petersburg special significance.
