White House envoy Steve Witkoff is set to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin in St. Petersburg on Wednesday to present an updated proposal aimed at ending the war in Ukraine, according to a U.S. official. Jared Kushner, President Donald Trump's son-in-law and adviser, will participate in the meeting via video link.
Witkoff will arrive in Russia following a day of negotiations in Oslo, Norway, with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. The Oslo talks also included the leaders of Norway and Finland, along with representatives from France, the United Kingdom, Germany, Poland, the European Union, and NATO. The primary focus of these discussions was developing a unified proposal for a framework agreement to end the conflict.
A U.S. official stated that the parties made meaningful progress during the Oslo meetings, noting that Ukraine brought forward new ideas that were discussed in detail. The official added that the group now has strong alignment at the working level on next steps. The White House hopes this new proposal will create a pathway toward direct trilateral and broader multilateral negotiations.
Zelensky said on Tuesday that the logical next step should be a trilateral meeting involving himself, Putin, and Trump. However, Russia has so far refused to participate in such a format. The White House believes Putin may show more willingness to compromise after Trump agreed to lift sanctions on Russian diesel sales and took other measures welcomed by Moscow.
Kushner joined the Oslo meeting virtually and pressed Trump's demand that Ukraine halt strikes on Russian oil refineries. According to a source with knowledge of the discussions, Kushner was very direct in making this point. Zelensky responded after the meeting by stating he is prepared to cease strikes on Russian oil refineries if Moscow takes reciprocal steps.
Trump expressed his views on the situation on Tuesday, stating he believes Russia would like to get it done but expressed doubt that Zelensky wants to end the war. Trump warned that if Zelensky does not want a deal, it will be a very bad thing for Ukraine, adding that if they do not make a deal, it is just going to get worse for Ukraine.