U.S. envoy Witkoff to meet Putin, Trump presses Kyiv to settle

An official said White House Special Envoy Steve Witkoff would aim to "create a pathway toward direct trilateral and broader multilateral negotiations" regarding Russia and Ukraine. | AFP-JIJI

Reuters

Oct 21, 2026

OSLO/KYIV/WASHINGTON – U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff will meet Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday after what a U.S. official called “constructive” talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Norway, as President Donald Trump said it was time for Ukraine to end the war.

The U.S. official said Ukraine brought forward new ideas and proposals to the Oslo talks, which also involved the leaders of Norway and Finland and European and NATO representatives, and that participants made “meaningful progress” toward a coordinated approach to engaging Russia.

The official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said the talks covered “key elements of a comprehensive peace framework,” including security guarantees for Ukraine, a post-war economic plan and a broader European security architecture.

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