On the morning of October 21, a plane, which flight tracking data indicated was carrying U.S. President Donald Trump's special envoy Steven Witkoff, landed at Pulkovo Airport in St. Petersburg. According to Russian news agencies, he was met by Russian Presidential Special Representative Kirill Dmitriev, after which the motorcade departed for the city. Thus, the American negotiator arrived in Russia immediately after a visit to Oslo, where consultations with the Ukrainian side and European politicians had taken place the day before.
Talks at Constantine Palace
By 9:32 a.m. Moscow time, Witkoff and Dmitriev reportedly arrived at Constantine Palace for negotiations. According to reports, the meeting is expected to discuss proposals for resolving the conflict in Ukraine: sources indicate the American side brought ideas formed during previous consultations. Notably, Witkoff may propose holding a trilateral meeting involving Vladimir Putin, Donald Trump, and Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
Context: Oslo Negotiations
On October 20, in Oslo, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy met with U.S. negotiators. The consultations, hosted by Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre, also included Finnish President Alexander Stubb; according to the Financial Times, representatives from France, Germany, the UK, Poland, the EU, and NATO may have attended. Stubb stated that the parties found elements of a peaceful settlement, which will now be presented in St. Petersburg. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio confirmed that Witkoff headed to St. Petersburg and is "carrying ideas discussed with Zelenskyy to Russia," adding that the meeting with the Ukrainian leader was "constructive."
Moscow's Position and Expectations
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov previously stated that Moscow hopes to organize a meeting with Witkoff soon and that the American negotiator will be able to brief the Russian head of state on the talks with the Ukrainian and European sides. The American side did not publicly comment on the visit's details upon the plane's arrival, limiting itself to a confirmation of the trip's occurrence at the Secretary of State level.
What This Means
Witkoff's visit to St. Petersburg — and the possible participation of the U.S. President's son-in-law Jared Kushner, as reported by The New York Times — marks the transition of the diplomatic track from multilateral consultations in Oslo to direct contacts between American and Russian leadership. According to sources, the central issues remain the parameters of a potential settlement and the format of further negotiations, including a hypothetical trilateral meeting of the U.S., Russian, and Ukrainian leaders.
