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US special envoy Steve Witkoff will discuss proposals to end the war in Ukraine with Russian officials during a visit to Russia. The trip could pave the way for a leaders-level meeting involving US President Donald Trump, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Russian President Vladimir Putin, Politico reported.
Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre told reporters after meeting Zelenskyy and Witkoff in Oslo that the US envoy would travel to St. Petersburg to meet Russian leadership.
Witkoff is expected to share ideas discussed during the Oslo meeting, along with proposals developed by European and US officials. The discussions could help prepare a meeting involving the leaders of Ukraine, the United States and Russia.
Zelenskyy stressed the importance of a possible trilateral meeting with Trump and Putin, saying some issues can only be resolved directly by national leaders. He added that the next steps would depend on Moscow's position.
“Steve is going to Russia tomorrow, and we'll see what Putin says,” Zelenskyy said.
Trump, however, previously suggested that Putin and Zelenskyy did not necessarily need to meet in person to reach a peace agreement, saying a deal could be pursued through other means.
Witkoff traveled to Norway on October 20 for talks with Zelenskyy and European leaders. He is then expected to meet Putin.