US President Donald Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff plans to travel to Norway this week for a new round of talks to end the war in Ukraine. Two people familiar with the plans expect Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to participate in the meetings, Reuters reported.
The talks are to be held in Oslo. They are expected to include Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre, representatives from Britain, France, Germany and Poland, as well as representatives from the European Union and NATO. The schedule is still preliminary and could change.
Kushner may participate remotely
Jared Kushner, Trump's son-in-law and one of his envoys, was also scheduled to participate in the talks. According to one of the sources, however, Kushner is ill and will participate virtually.
Zelensky said earlier that Ukrainian and American negotiators may meet in Norway in the coming days. According to “Axios“, the Ukrainian president told US senators that he will be in Oslo and may talk with Witkoff and Kushner on Tuesday or Wednesday.
A meeting with Putin is also planned
Witkoff also plans to travel to Russia, where he will meet with President Vladimir Putin. According to Reuters, the talks with the Russian side will be devoted to topics related to Ukraine, as well as the release of American citizen Steven Hubbard, who was detained in Russia in 2022.
The planned meetings take place against the backdrop of new tensions between Washington and Kiev. Ukraine claims that the US administration has restricted intelligence sharing, delayed deliveries of Patriot anti-missile missiles and slowed down the speed of the Starshield satellite system used by the Ukrainian military.
“All this shows that a political decision has been made to delay support for us,“ Zelensky said. US officials deny allegations of limiting support.
Differences between Trump and Zelensky remain
Trump accused Zelensky of refusing to negotiate with Russia and said it might be time for someone else to lead the negotiations on behalf of Ukraine. Zelensky has consistently stated that he is ready for talks, but insists that they lead to a just and sustainable peace.
The planned meetings in Oslo will be the first known attempt to resume talks between American and Ukrainian representatives since the talks in Miami. It has not yet been confirmed whether a Russian delegation will directly participate in Norway.
Sources: internazionale.it, axios.com, apnews.com