US Envoy Witkoff Arrives In Russia After Zelenskyy Talks On Ukraine Peace
by RFE/RL · Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty · JoinUS envoy Steve Witkoff arrived in St. Petersburg to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin following talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Oslo.
Kremlin foreign policy aide Yury Ushakov said the meeting would take place in the first half of the day at the Constantine Palace in St. Petersburg on October 21.
He said that Trump's son-in-law, Jared Kushner, would not personally attend proceedings due to illness, and reportedly will join the meeting virtually.
The meeting in St. Petersburg will be the ninth to take place between Witkoff and the Russian leader.
"We have some clear ideas on how to get to peace," Zelenskyy told reporters after the talks, which were hosted by Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store and Finnish President Alexander Stubb in Oslo on October 20.
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Zelenskyy said Witkoff would present Russia with a proposal for three-way talks involving the leaders of Ukraine, Russia, and the United States.
"We want the Americans to take these ideas to the Russians," Zelenskyy said, adding that "one of the important ideas is to move to a potential trilateral meeting of the leaders to address the issues that only the leaders can do."
Trump commented on the possibility of direct talks between Putin and Zelenskyy, saying the two leaders did not need to meet face-to-face to reach a deal.
"They don't have to be in the same room. I guess they can do it another way," Trump told reporters on October 20.
Missile Intelligence 'Works Now,' Says Zelenskyy
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who is visiting India, described Witkoff's talks with Zelenskyy in Oslo as "positive."
"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 told reporters on October 21.
Zelenskyy said he was grateful to the US for providing intelligence on Russian missile strikes, adding that early-warning systems were now working effectively.
"We are thankful that intelligence works.... I'm speaking about early warning, which is very important for our people, for children, adults, civilians, because we can hear when ballistic [missiles are] coming," Zelenskyy told reporters in the Norwegian capital.
Stubb said the Oslo talks had yielded "genuine progress" on both the long-term outlook and more immediate issues.
He said the participants had identified "some elements of peace" in the broader picture, along with key points concerning security and the economy.
Trump Calls For Release Of Imprisoned American
Trump also said on October 20 that he had asked Putin to release Stephen Hubbard, a 72-year-old native of Michigan who was captured by Russian troops in April 2022 and accused of being a mercenary for Ukrainian forces, though it was not clear if the request would be raised in Witkoff's talks with Putin.
In 2024, a Russian court sentenced Hubbard to seven years in prison.
"I've been talking to him at length. I've asked him to release him. Let's see what happens," Trump told journalists in Washington.
US Envoy Witkoff Arrives In Russia After Zelenskyy Talks On Ukraine Peace
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