Oslo Peace Talks: Witkoff Meets Zelenskyy Before Planned Putin Trip

U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff met Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Norway on Tuesday, Oct. 20, 2026, as the Oslo peace talks brought Ukraine, European governments and Washington back to one table. Norway and Finland are hosting the meetings, which are meant to shape a peace proposal that Witkoff plans to take to Russian President Vladimir Putin.

The talks come during one of the worst stretches in U.S.-Ukraine relations since Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022. They also follow a deadly week of Russian strikes on Ukrainian cities and power plants.

Who is at the Oslo peace talks

The Norwegian government said Zelenskyy, Finnish President Alexander Stubb and Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre would meet in Oslo, joined by Witkoff in person and Jared Kushner remotely. Støre’s office said Ukraine had asked for the two U.S. envoys to take part. “The aim is to put diplomatic efforts on a more constructive path,” Støre said.

Representatives of the so-called E4, which are the United Kingdom, France, Germany and Poland, were also expected, along with officials from the European Union and NATO, according to Axios and Euronews. Poland’s seat is notable. Euronews said Warsaw had been left out of earlier talks involving Britain, France and Germany, and Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk had criticized that exclusion.

Axios reported that Kushner had the flu and would join by video. Zelenskyy, Stubb and Støre planned a press conference later on Tuesday.

What the U.S. says is on the table

A U.S. official told Axios that American, Ukrainian and European teams worked over the past week on proposals that build on earlier talks at Witkoff’s Shell Bay club near Miami. The official described two tracks:

• Ukraine’s future: credible security guarantees, European integration and a postwar economic framework to meet Ukraine’s financial needs.
• A durable peace: a comprehensive proposal to Russia covering the issues needed to end the war, a new security arrangement between Russia and Europe, and possible postwar economic cooperation.

“The next step is to test whether that work can form the basis for serious negotiations with Russia,” the official said, adding that “substantial work remains.” After Oslo, Witkoff is expected to travel to Russia to meet Putin. Euronews said that visit may also address the release of Stephen Hubbard, a 74-year-old American detained by Russia in 2022 and sentenced to almost seven years on a charge of fighting as a mercenary for Ukraine.

A strained backdrop between Kyiv and Washington

Zelenskyy arrives under pressure from the White House. On Monday, President Donald Trump said “Russia, frankly, has been fine on Ukraine,” that Zelenskyy was “not helping matters much,” and that Kyiv should find “somebody else to negotiate,” Reuters reported. Trump has also issued a broad waiver of the new Russia sanctions law, as covered in our report on the Graham Act waiver.

Kyiv says Washington has lately failed to give early warning of Russian missile launches, throttled Starshield satellite links that guide Ukrainian drones, and failed to deliver air defenses that European allies paid for. Washington denies withholding intelligence or restricting Starshield, Reuters said. Our earlier piece on the Starshield speed limit explains that dispute.

On Tuesday morning, Zelenskyy said he spoke with Secretary of State Marco Rubio about three issues: “First, ballistic missile interceptors, which are needed to protect lives. Second, early warning of Russian ballistic missile attacks, which is vital. Third, the situation with Starlink/Starshield, which needs to be restored.” Euronews also reported that Zelenskyy told Bloomberg he had offered to suspend Ukrainian strikes on Russian oil facilities in exchange for more U.S.-made Patriot interceptors.

Russian strikes continue during the diplomacy

The fighting has not paused. Ukrainian officials said a Russian drone struck near a petrol station on a highway south of Kyiv early Tuesday, killing three people and setting cars on fire, according to Reuters. That followed the weekend barrage described in our report on the Russian missile attack on Kyiv, which left about 550,000 homes without power.

What to watch next

Watch for what Zelenskyy, Stubb and Støre say at their press conference, whether Witkoff’s Moscow trip is confirmed with dates, and whether Washington moves on Patriot deliveries or early-warning sharing. Any change on those points would signal whether the Oslo track can repair ties between Kyiv and Washington.

Featured photo: Volodymyr Zelenskyy meets the president of Norway’s parliament, the Storting, in May 2022. Photo by the Office of the President of Ukraine, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons (cropped; license). File photo; not from the Oct. 20, 2026 talks.

Sources

• Government of Norway: Witkoff and Kushner to take part in meetings in Oslo
• Axios: Trump envoy Steve Witkoff heads to Oslo for Russia-Ukraine peace talks
• Euronews: Trump envoy Witkoff to meet Zelenskyy in Oslo before planned Putin talks in Moscow
• Reuters (via Investing.com): Zelenskiy to meet Witkoff as Trump praises Russia and rebukes Ukraine