Ukraine has presented new proposals for ending the war during talks in Oslo involving the US, European countries and NATO. A US official described the dialogue with President Volodymyr Zelensky as constructive, and told Reuters that “significant progress“ has been made towards a coordinated approach to talks with Russia.
The meetings also included Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre, Finnish President Alexander Stubb, representatives of European countries and NATO. The main elements of a comprehensive peace program were discussed, including security guarantees for Ukraine, a post-war economic plan and the future security architecture in Europe.
Kyiv insists on security guarantees
Zelensky emphasized the need for mechanisms similar to Article 5 of the NATO treaty, which provides for collective defense in the event of an attack on a member state. The talks also discussed a plan for the restoration of Ukrainian infrastructure, as well as the possibilities for financial support after the end of the war.
According to the US representative, the task of President Donald Trump's special envoy to Russia, Steve Witkoff, is to create a path to direct trilateral and broader multilateral negotiations. The Ukrainian side has confirmed its hope for a meeting between the leaders of Ukraine, the United States and Russia, at which key issues would be discussed.
Witkoff leaves for a meeting with Putin
Jonas Gar Støre described the talks in Oslo as productive. Alexander Stubb stated: “The peace process is moving in the right direction again.“
The meetings took place against the backdrop of Donald Trump's calls for a quick end to the war. The American president stated that Ukraine should strive to resolve the conflict, citing Moscow's resources and the captured territories.
After the talks in Norway, Steve Witkoff left for St. Petersburg, where on October 21 he met with Vladimir Putin. The ideas and proposals discussed in Oslo are expected to be part of the next round of diplomatic contacts between the US and Russia.
Sources: obozrevatel.com, japantimes.co.jp