Newsletters
U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff is heading to Russia with proposals on Ukraine’s long-term security following talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Norway, Secretary of State Marco Rubio told reporters in India on Wednesday.
Witkoff met Zelenskyy in Oslo on Tuesday and is scheduled to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin in St. Petersburg on Wednesday to present an updated proposal aimed at ending the war. U.S. President Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner is also expected to join the meeting virtually.
The visit follows Witkoff’s meeting with Putin in Moscow in early September, when he was joined by Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner in an earlier effort to revive stalled peace negotiations.
Rubio identified preventing future Russian attacks as Kyiv’s main priority in the negotiations. "I think for Ukraine, the predominant desire is to ensure their long-term security and safety, so that they’re never re-invaded or re-attacked in the future," he said.
The secretary described the meeting between Witkoff and Zelenskyy as "positive," saying the envoy would carry the ideas discussed in Norway into talks with Russia.
"My understanding from the information he provided to me and the readout I got from it, is that it was positive, nothing unexpected, nothing surprising, and he'll now, armed with those ideas, be able to go to St. Petersburg and share them with the Russian side, and let's see if we can make some progress," Rubio added.
He also defended Washington’s support for Kyiv, arguing that U.S. assistance had been essential to Ukraine’s continued existence as an independent country.
"If it were not for the assistance of the United States, including under the Trump administration, there would be no Ukraine right now," Rubio said. "Ukraine as a sovereign state would not exist."
Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store confirmed Tuesday that Witkoff would travel to St. Petersburg to meet Russian leaders and convey ideas discussed with Ukrainian and Nordic officials in Norway.
Speaking alongside Zelenskyy and Finnish President Alexander Stubb at a news conference in Oslo, Store described the talks as "good and constructive." He also pointed to proposals developed by European and U.S. officials that could help pave the way for a meeting between national leaders.
Zelenskyy said the discussions covered security guarantees and possible ceasefire arrangements, including proposals modeled on NATO’s Article 5 collective defense clause. He welcomed Washington’s assurances that Ukraine’s security guarantees would be strong and said Kyiv expected to hear Russia’s response after Witkoff presented the proposals.
"We have some clear ideas on how to get to peace," Zelenskyy said, adding that Ukraine wanted the United States to take those ideas to Russia. He also called for a potential meeting among national leaders to address issues that could not be resolved at lower levels.
Trump, meanwhile, has urged Zelenskyy to reach an agreement to end the war, arguing Tuesday that the European Union is getting "tired of spending" money on Ukraine. The bloc and its member states have provided €228.7 billion ($256.7 billion) in overall support to Ukraine since 2022, according to the European Commission.
Asked whether the peace process was back on track following the Oslo talks, Trump expressed confidence that Moscow wanted to reach an agreement.
"I think what’s happening is that Russia would like to get it done," he said. "Russia is a big machine. They just keep grinding forward," Trump added. "They have an unlimited supply of people."
Set as preferred source
Set as preferred source
1 min read
1 min read
