President Volodymyr Zelensky is due to meet US envoy Steve Witkoff in Oslo on Tuesday as President Donald Trump presses Kyiv to stop striking Russian oil refineries and Ukraine seeks assurances that Washington will continue supplying the weapons and intelligence it needs to withstand Moscow’s attacks.
The Oct. 20 meeting will bring Ukrainian officials and European leaders together with Trump’s representative to develop peace proposals that Witkoff hopes to present to Russian President Vladimir Putin during a subsequent visit to Russia.
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The talks come amid a deepening dispute between Kyiv and Washington over Ukraine’s campaign against Russia’s oil industry, delayed air defense supplies and the terms under which the war could end. Zelensky has offered to suspend refinery strikes in exchange for Patriot interceptor missiles, while accusing the United States of withholding support as Russia targets Ukrainian cities and energy facilities.
For Kyiv, the negotiations involve two immediate priorities: influencing the proposals Washington takes to Moscow and securing the military backing Ukraine needs while diplomacy continues.
Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre said Zelensky had asked Norway and Finland to organize the meeting as part of ongoing diplomatic efforts.
“President Zelensky approached Norway and Finland with a request to arrange a meeting as part of ongoing diplomatic efforts at a critical time for Ukraine,” Støre said.
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Finland is co-organizing the gathering. Finnish President Alexander Stubb and Støre will join the discussions, which are expected to address both Russia’s war against Ukraine and European security.
The Ukrainian delegation will include presidential chief of staff Kyrylo Budanov, first deputy presidential chief of staff Sergiy Kyslytsya, deputy presidential chief of staff Pavlo Palisa and Rustem Umerov, RBC-Ukraine reported, citing an informed source.
The negotiations with Witkoff and European representatives were tentatively scheduled for Tuesday afternoon.
A proposal for Kyiv and an offer to Moscow
A US official told Axios that Witkoff planned to travel to Russia after Oslo, hoping to meet Putin and present ideas developed in consultations with Ukraine and its European partners.
The Oslo gathering follows discussions in Miami, where, according to the official, Zelensky committed to considering and advancing proposals intended to create a path toward a comprehensive and lasting peace agreement.
American, Ukrainian and European representatives have spent the past week developing those proposals along two parallel tracks.
The first concerns Ukraine’s future: preserving its sovereignty, providing credible security guarantees, supporting European integration and establishing a broad postwar economic framework. That framework would address Ukraine’s financing needs while creating opportunities for reconstruction, investment and long-term growth.
The second involves preparing a comprehensive proposal for Russia. It would address the issues necessary to end the war, explore future security arrangements between Russia and Europe, and consider opportunities for postwar economic cooperation.
The official said Trump had instructed his team to undertake an intensive process with Ukraine and Europe to develop the proposal. The next test would be whether that work could become the basis for substantive negotiations with Moscow.
The discussions remain open, with considerable work still required, the official said, describing Trump’s objective as ending the killing and establishing a lasting peace benefiting Ukraine, Russia, Europe and the United States.
Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner will participate in the Oslo talks remotely after contracting the flu, the US official told Axios.
Witkoff’s planned trip to Russia is also expected to include efforts to secure the release of Stephen Hubbard, a retired American teacher whom the United States considers wrongfully detained.
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