US offers Putin direct talks with Trump and Zelenskyy in push for Ukraine ceasefire

Envoy Steve Witkoff to travel to Russia with peace proposals

By LineZotpaper

Published20 October 2026

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US special envoy Steve Witkoff will propose a three-way leaders’ summit between President Donald Trump, Russia’s Vladimir Putin and Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelenskyy as part of a renewed diplomatic push to end the war in Ukraine. Witkoff is set to travel to St. Petersburg on Wednesday to present the plan after holding talks with Zelenskyy in Norway.

The proposal for the first direct talks at the highest level since Russia’s full‑scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022 was announced at a press conference in Oslo on Tuesday. Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre, who hosted the talks between Witkoff and Zelenskyy, said the envoy would carry the proposals to Moscow.

“We have hosted today, I would say, good and constructive talks — necessary after events of the last week,” Støre told reporters. “Steve Witkoff will fly tomorrow to St. Petersburg where he will be meeting with Russian leadership and exchange ideas from this meeting and the proposals that have been worked on by European and American colleagues, and possibly pave the way for a meeting at leaders’ level.”

Zelenskyy described the day as positive. He said issues around Ukrainian territory could only be discussed by leaders and that any peace settlement would require genuine security guarantees. A deal would only be acceptable if Ukraine is involved in designing it, he said.

Previous attempts to arrange direct talks between Putin and Zelenskyy have failed, with Moscow insisting that any meeting must take place in Russia. The latest initiative comes after days of high tensions between Kyiv and the Trump administration.

Analysis

Why This Matters

A three‑way summit would be the first leaders‑level encounter since the invasion, carrying the potential for a breakthrough or a clear diplomatic dead end.
Witkoff’s travel to St. Petersburg tests Russia’s willingness to engage after years of refusing direct talks with Ukraine.
The outcome will shape the trajectory of the war and the posture of Western allies.

Background

The war in Ukraine entered its fourth year in 2025 with no ceasefire. Previous mediation efforts, including early talks in Istanbul and limited grain‑deal negotiations, have failed to end fighting. The US under President Trump has sought a direct channel to Moscow, and this proposal marks the most explicit attempt yet to bring the three leaders face‑to‑face.

Key Perspectives

US & Ukraine: The White House, through envoy Witkoff, is offering Putin a seat at the table alongside Trump and Zelenskyy. Zelenskyy stresses that any settlement must include strong security guarantees and be shaped by Kyiv. Russia: The Kremlin has so far resisted in‑person talks with Zelenskyy, insisting they must be held in Moscow. It remains to be seen whether Putin will accept the offer of a summit in a neutral location. Critics/Sceptics: Previous attempts at high‑level talks have collapsed over territorial demands and security red lines. Without a credible reciprocal gesture from Russia the initiative may stall.

What to Watch

The outcome of Witkoff’s meeting with Russian officials in St. Petersburg.
Whether the Kremlin indicates a willingness to meet unconditionally.
Any movement on the ground along the front lines that could affect the political calculus.

Sources

US to offer Putin face-to-face talks with Zelenskyy and Trump · Politico Europe

Checked

10 claims in this story checked against 1 source: 6 supported.

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Partly supportedThe US offers Putin direct talks with Trump and Zelenskyy as part of a push for a Ukraine ceasefire.Politico Europe: “U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff will offer Vladimir Putin direct talks with President Donald Trump and Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelenskyy in an effort to secure a ceasefire.”
SupportedWitkoff will propose a three-way leaders’ summit among Trump, Putin and Zelenskyy.Politico Europe: “Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre, who hosted the talks, said Witkoff will travel to Russia Wednesday and set out proposals for peace terms, including the idea of a three-way summit between the leaders.”
SupportedWitkoff is set to travel to St. Petersburg on Wednesday with peace proposals after talks with Zelenskyy in Norway.Politico Europe: ““Steve Witkoff will fly tomorrow to St. Petersburg where he will be meeting with Russian leadership and exchange ideas from this meeting and the proposals that have been worked on by European and American colleagues, and possibly pave the way for a meeting at leaders’ level.””
SupportedThe proposed summit would be the first such leaders’ summit since Russia’s full-scale invasion began in 2022.Politico Europe: “The proposal for three-way leaders’ negotiations on a peace proposal, the first such summit since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine began in 2022, was announced at a press conference Tuesday after talks in Norway between Zelenskyy and Witkoff.”
SupportedThe proposal was announced at a press conference in Oslo on Tuesday.Politico Europe: “The proposal for three-way leaders’ negotiations on a peace proposal, the first such summit since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine began in 2022, was announced at a press conference Tuesday after talks in Norway between Zelenskyy and Witkoff.”
SupportedStøre said Witkoff would travel to St. Petersburg to meet Russian leadership and exchange ideas and proposals.Politico Europe: ““Steve Witkoff will fly tomorrow to St. Petersburg where he will be meeting with Russian leadership and exchange ideas from this meeting and the proposals that have been worked on by European and American colleagues, and possibly pave the way for a meeting at leaders’ level.””
SupportedStøre told reporters the talks had been “good and constructive” and “necessary after events of the last week.”Politico Europe: ““We have hosted today, I would say, good and constructive talks — necessary after events of the last week,” Støre told reporters after the meeting.”
Partly supportedZelenskyy said issues around Ukrainian territory could only be discussed by leaders.Politico Europe: “He said issues around the future of Ukrainian territory could only be discussed by leaders”
Partly supportedPrevious attempts to arrange direct talks between Putin and Zelenskyy have failed, and Moscow insists any meeting must take place in Russia.Politico Europe: “Previous attempts to get Putin to meet Zelenskyy in person have fallen flat, with the Kremlin recently insisting a meeting could only take place in Moscow .”
Partly supportedThe initiative follows days of high tensions between Kyiv and the Trump administration.Politico Europe: “The meeting in Oslo came after days of high tensions between Ukraine and the U.S. president .”