US special envoy Steve Witkoff will travel to St. Petersburg, where he is expected to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin and present proposals discussed during the talks in Oslo. This was announced by Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre after meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, Finnish President Alexander Stubb and US representatives.
The talks were devoted to the possibilities of ending the war, guarantees for the security of Ukraine, territorial issues, sanctions and the future European security order. Plans for the reconstruction and development of Ukraine after the end of hostilities were also discussed.
“We are grateful that intelligence is already working“, Zelensky said. He said it was an early warning system that allowed Ukrainian authorities and the population to react to approaching Russian ballistic missiles. The Ukrainian president said the change came after talks with US officials, including a phone call with Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
Washington rejects pause claim
The intelligence issue has caused tension between Kiev and Washington. Ukraine has previously accused the US of withholding key data on Russian strikes. Rubio rejected the claim that the exchange had been suspended, calling it “scandalous”. According to the US position, there has been no official change in US policy so far.
The two sides present what happened differently: Zelensky talks about restoring a working warning system, while Rubio denies that there was a break. It is confirmed that the issue was discussed between the two before the Oslo talks.
Witkoff to deliver proposals to Moscow
Støre said that the Oslo meeting was constructive and that Europe should participate in the diplomatic process. “There can be nothing for Ukraine without Ukraine“, the Norwegian prime minister stressed. Stubb also described the talks as an important step in resuming diplomatic efforts.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said that Moscow was ready to listen to new American proposals, but did not expect a “miracle” from Washington. He warned that Russia did not intend to make political concessions.
Zelensky, for his part, called for a direct trilateral meeting between him, US President Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin. According to him, a number of issues can only be resolved at the level of state leaders.
Sources: bbc.com, theguardian.com, 2news.com