Witkoff plans Ukraine peace talks in Norway, Putin meeting in Russia
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U.S. President Donald Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff is expected to travel to Norway this week for peace talks involving Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and European officials before traveling to Russia for a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin, Reuters reported on Oct. 19.
The planned discussions in Oslo are expected to include Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre, representatives of Britain, France, Germany, and Poland, as well as the European Union and NATO, according to Reuters, citing people familiar with the matter.
Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner is also expected to participate in the talks remotely because of illness, one source said.
The schedule remains tentative and could change.
The planned talks with Putin are also expected to address the release of American citizen Stephen Hubbard, who had reportedly been serving with a Ukrainian territorial defense unit in the town of Izium, in Kharkiv Oblast. Hubbard was detained by Russia in 2022.
The planned negotiations follow an Oct. 18 phone call between Zelensky, Witkoff, and Kushner, during which they discussed possible next steps toward a peace agreement.
Zelensky also told Bloomberg that he had proposed suspending Ukrainian strikes on Russian oil infrastructure in exchange for additional American-made Patriot interceptor missiles to defend against Russian ballistic missile attacks.
The proposal comes as Washington presses Kyiv to stop targeting Russian oil refineries, amid growing tensions over U.S. military support for Ukraine.
Ukrainian officials told the Kyiv Independent that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has yet to approve the transfer of a significant batch of Patriot interceptor missiles already paid for by Kyiv's allies, raising concerns in Ukraine that Washington is withholding the weapons as political pressure.
NATO officials told the Kyiv Independent that deliveries under the purchasing initiative were continuing, including air defense equipment, while a U.S. government official disputed Ukraine's allegations.
