War in Ukraine: Trump's envoy on his way to Russia for a meeting with Putin

US President Donald Trump’s special envoy, Steve Witkoff, will meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday to advance diplomatic efforts regarding the war in Ukraine, according to a senior American official. The meeting follows productive talks held Tuesday in Oslo, Norway, where Witkoff and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky discussed the path forward. A second US envoy, Jared Kushner, participated via videoconference due to illness. Norwegian and Finnish leaders were also present at the Oslo discussions. The American official described the negotiations between the US envoys and the Ukrainian president as “very productive and constructive.” He stated that there is now a strong alignment among the United States, Ukraine, and Europe regarding the next steps in the diplomatic process. Following his meetings in Oslo, Witkoff is scheduled to travel to Saint Petersburg on Wednesday. There, he intends to present proposals developed jointly by Americans and Europeans to Russian authorities. Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre indicated that these proposals could open the door for a summit between top-level leaders. These diplomatic moves occur after a week of severe tension between Kyiv and Washington. Bilateral relations deteriorated significantly following an agreement struck between Trump and Putin regarding the purchase of Russian diesel fuel. Additionally, Trump publicly criticized Zelensky over Ukrainian attacks on refineries within Russia, arguing that such strikes contribute to global fuel price spikes. On Monday, Trump expressed willingness to meet soon with both Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping to discuss ending the conflict. In recent days, a trilateral meeting in China in November has been mentioned as a possibility. On Tuesday, from the White House, Trump applied further pressure on his Ukrainian counterpart. He declared that Zelensky must have the will to end the war, warning that if he does not, the outcome will be very bad. Despite this friction, Zelensky welcomed the restoration of US intelligence sharing during his press conference in Oslo. He noted that the system is functioning again, allowing Ukraine to receive advance warnings of Russian ballistic missile launches. “We are grateful to the American side. It works now. That is great,” Zelensky said. Zelensky also addressed a morning conversation with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio. He expressed confidence that ongoing discussions concerning the Starlink satellite network and the delivery of Patriot interceptor missiles would yield positive results. The Ukrainian president accused the United States of deliberately delaying the planned delivery of Patriot systems, which are critical for defending against Russian missile and drone attacks. He emphasized that these weapons are severely lacking in his army. However, US authorities reject allegations that they intentionally harmed Ukraine by halting intelligence sharing or restricting Starlink operations, which the Ukrainian military uses extensively. Speaking from Mumbai, India, on Tuesday, Rubio denied that anything was being deliberately withheld from Ukraine. He explained that the current situation represents a balance between US commitments to other partners and its own domestic needs. “Nothing is deliberately refused” to Ukraine, Rubio asserted. The Kremlin expressed confidence that Witkoff would meet with Putin shortly after his consultations in Oslo. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said during his daily telephone briefing that Moscow expects the meeting to be organized quickly. He added that the US negotiators would be able to inform Putin about their contacts with Ukrainian and European counterparts. Background tensions remain high on the battlefield, where fighting continues without major advances by either side. Since the conflict began in 2022, US-led negotiations have failed to unlock a resolution. Mutual strikes on energy infrastructure by Russia and Ukraine have fueled fears in Kyiv of another harsh winter. Separately, Trump indicated he had asked Putin to release Stephen Hubbard, a retired American English teacher detained in Russia. Hubbard was sentenced to nearly seven years in prison in October 2024 for “mercenary activity” benefiting Ukraine, a charge he rejects. His trial was held behind closed doors. Trump hinted that a resolution to Hubbard’s case might be imminent.