Russia hopes to arrange a meeting between U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff and Russian President Vladimir Putin, giving Moscow a chance to hear Ukrainian and European positions on peace efforts.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Oct. 20 that the proposed meeting would take place in Russia. He said Witkoff could relay what he learned from Ukrainian and European officials, while Washington and Moscow could discuss other issues.
Norway announced Witkoff's planned participation in talks in Oslo. Reuters reported that he was expected to meet Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy and representatives of Britain, France, Germany and Poland. The news agency said European Union and NATO officials were also expected to attend.
Separately, U.S. President Donald Trump said he had reached an agreement with Putin on Russian diesel supplies and predicted it could lower prices. Zelenskiy criticized the agreement, saying Russian diesel sales would help fund the war. European Union leaders expressed regret over a related lifting of sanctions on Russian diesel.
The Kremlin has given no confirmed date or venue for a Putin-Witkoff meeting in Russia.
