US Special Presidential Envoy Steve Witkoff is heading back to Oslo following his meeting with Vladimir Putin in St. Petersburg. According to Norwegian publication iNyheter, cited by RBC-Ukraine, Norway is awaiting the American negotiator to hear firsthand details of his conversation with the head of the Russian state. Thus, Witkoff’s diplomatic itinerary this week forms a loop: first Oslo, then St. Petersburg, and once again the Norwegian capital.
Negotiations in Oslo: Composition and Format
On October 20, Witkoff was in Oslo alongside Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy for talks on resolving the war in Ukraine. The meeting took place at Norway's government residence; it was also attended by Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre and Finnish President Alexander Stubb. According to broadcaster NRK, it was Zelenskyy who asked Norway and Finland to organize this round. A second US special envoy, Jared Kushner, joined the meeting remotely. The goal of the meeting, participants reported, was to formulate a peace proposal that would then be handed over to the Russian side.
St. Petersburg: Meeting with Putin
On Wednesday morning, October 21, Witkoff arrived in St. Petersburg. Russian Presidential Aide Yury Ushakov announced that Vladimir Putin would receive the American envoy roughly in the first half of the day. According to US publication Axios, following the talks in Oslo, Witkoff intended to present Putin with ideas developed in close consultation with Ukraine and European partners. Representatives of several European countries, the European Union, and NATO could also join the discussion, according to the same source.
Expectations in Norway and the Mandate Question
Upon returning to Oslo, Witkoff is expected to share details of his conversation with Putin, iNyheter reported. Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre previously stated that the Norwegian side is interested in ensuring the war ends through diplomatic means and that a “lasting and just peace” is achieved. He specifically emphasized the importance of clarifying what exact mandate US President Donald Trump gave to Witkoff and Kushner to conduct negotiations.
Outcomes and Next Steps
According to Alexander Stubb, following the meeting in Oslo, the parties found ideas for a peace settlement. Thus, the current round of contacts — Oslo, then St. Petersburg, and the return to Oslo — forms the basis for the next stage of the diplomatic process, in which the key issues remain the authority of the American negotiators and the specific provisions to be proposed to Moscow.
