The administration of US President Donald Trump is considering expanding the circle of participants in talks to end the war in Ukraine. The goal is to use the progress made in talks with Kiev and European partners to prepare for direct trilateral and broader multilateral negotiations with Russia.
The information was reported by Axios journalist Barak Ravid, referring to a US official. According to him, Washington wants to build a diplomatic path that would lead to a direct dialogue between Ukraine, Russia and the United States, as well as to broader participation of other countries.
“The goal is to develop the progress achieved in relations with Ukraine and Europe, to discuss proposals with Russia and to pave the way for direct trilateral and broader multilateral negotiations“, the American representative said.What was discussed in Oslo
On October 20, Trump's special representatives Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre and Finnish President Alexander Stubb met in Oslo.
The American source described the meetings as “very productive and constructive“. According to him, Ukraine presented new ideas and proposals that were discussed in detail. The parties have made “significant progress” in agreeing on a common approach to relations with Russia and continuing the diplomatic process.
At a working level, the United States, Ukraine, and European partners have reached a solid understanding on the next steps and have expressed a shared commitment to finding practical solutions to end the war.
Security guarantees and post-war reconstruction
Among the topics discussed in Oslo were long-term security guarantees for Ukraine, a plan for post-war economic recovery, and the broader European security architecture.
The next stage is Witkoff’s planned meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in St. Petersburg on October 21. Kushner is scheduled to participate remotely. According to Axios, Witkoff will present Putin with a renewed proposal to end the war.
The talks in Oslo were also linked to the prospect of a trilateral meeting between Donald Trump, Vladimir Putin and Volodymyr Zelensky. Putin has previously proposed a format involving Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping to discuss ending the war in Ukraine.
Sources: unian.net, axios.com