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Witkoff shuttles between Kyiv and Moscow for Ukraine peace talks
Trump's envoy meets Zelenskyy in Oslo before planned Russia visit to present peace proposals developed with European partners.
What happened
White House Special Envoy Steve Witkoff is attending talks in Oslo with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, European leaders, and NATO and EU officials Tuesday to develop a peace proposal on the Russia-Ukraine war. Following the Oslo meeting, Witkoff plans to travel to Russia to brief President Vladimir Putin on the discussions and present ideas developed jointly with Ukraine and European partners. The Kremlin confirmed it hopes to arrange the Putin meeting soon, with spokesman Dmitry Peskov saying Witkoff could brief the Russian president on positions of Ukrainians and Europeans.
Jared Kushner, Trump's son-in-law and co-negotiator, will participate virtually due to illness. The Oslo talks bring together representatives of Norway, Finland, the UK, France, Germany, Poland, the EU, and NATO—representing the most coordinated diplomatic effort since Trump's envoys first visited Kyiv in September. Russia and Ukraine have shown tactical interest in these channels: Trump recently announced a diesel deal with Russia, while Zelenskyy has raised concerns about US intelligence sharing and Starlink access restrictions.
Chanakya's Move
Witkoff's shuttle represents Trump's bet that personal envoy diplomacy can succeed where multilateral forums have stalled. By meeting Zelenskyy and Europeans first, then carrying their positions to Putin, Trump signals he holds a channel to Russian decision-making while maintaining plausible distance from any territorial concessions. The Kremlin's eager confirmation of interest suggests Putin sees value in direct talks with Trump's team, possibly hoping to extract sanctions relief or recognition of territorial claims. The risk: if either side reads this as capitulation by the other, it could harden positions rather than narrow gaps. Trump's recent diesel deal with Russia and simultaneous restrictions on Ukraine's intelligence and Starlink access create asymmetry in the negotiating position—Kyiv may fear it lacks leverage.