U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff urged Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday, October 21, to consider resuming U.S.-mediated peace negotiations with Ukraine, presenting new proposals aimed at ending the war as Washington intensifies diplomatic efforts to reach an agreement.
According to Reuters, the meeting took place at the Constantine Palace in St. Petersburg, marking the ninth in-person encounter between Witkoff and Putin. The discussions followed consultations in Oslo involving Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, European leaders and NATO representatives.
Witkoff said one of his main objectives was to explore the possibility of restarting trilateral negotiations involving the United States, Russia and Ukraine, even if the meeting did not produce an immediate breakthrough.
“Even if we don’t have a resolution today, if we just talk about and sort of consider what that next step might be I think that would be important and the world is waiting to hear that,” Witkoff told Putin.
The talks opened with Russia’s release of Stephen Hubbard, a retired American schoolteacher who had been detained in the country. Putin also raised the possibility of broader cooperation with Washington, including Russian assistance in addressing concerns over Iran’s nuclear program and potential fertilizer exports to the United States.
Washington Presents New Peace Proposals
Witkoff arrived in Russia after meeting Zelensky and representatives of Finland, Norway and NATO in Oslo on Tuesday. He described those discussions as productive and said they had generated momentum toward renewed negotiations.
The American envoy brought documents outlining potential elements of a peace agreement for Putin to review. He also said Jared Kushner, President Donald Trump’s son-in-law, would join the discussions remotely to present additional ideas.
According to reports, Ukraine had submitted new proposals during the Oslo meetings, contributing to what Washington described as meaningful progress toward a coordinated negotiating position.
The discussions addressed possible security guarantees for Ukraine, a postwar economic reconstruction plan and arrangements concerning European security.
Significant differences remain between Moscow and Kyiv. Putin continues to demand full Russian control of the Donetsk region in eastern Ukraine and guarantees that Ukraine will not join NATO, conditions that Kyiv has opposed.
The last U.S.-mediated peace negotiations took place in February, before the United States and Israel launched military operations against Iran.
Trump has recently increased pressure on Ukraine to reach an agreement, warning Tuesday that Kyiv should move toward ending the war or face serious consequences.
Putin also expressed interest in discussing a possible meeting with Trump in China next month, potentially involving Chinese President Xi Jinping. Kirill Dmitriev, Russia’s special investment envoy, attended Wednesday’s meeting as both sides discussed prospects for economic cooperation following a potential settlement.
US-Ukraine Relations Face Renewed Strains
The diplomatic initiative comes amid worsening relations between Washington and Kyiv, particularly following a U.S.-Russia diesel export agreement earlier this month intended to help reduce fuel prices in the United States.
Ukraine has raised concerns about disruptions to American intelligence sharing and military satellite communications, which are important for monitoring Russian attacks and coordinating defensive operations.
The Wall Street Journal reported Wednesday that billionaire Elon Musk had ordered a slowdown of a military-grade version of SpaceX’s Starlink satellite service used by Ukraine to track Russian ballistic missiles. Reuters said it could not independently verify the report.
Musk has maintained that decisions regarding military access to the satellite system are made by the U.S. military or the president. Trump denied responsibility for the reported restrictions, while Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Washington had not withdrawn Ukraine’s access to Starlink.
Zelensky said Tuesday’s talks in Oslo had produced an agreement to address the communications and intelligence concerns. He also expressed hope for a trilateral meeting with Trump and Putin to discuss the central issues surrounding a possible peace settlement.
The Kremlin has repeatedly maintained that any direct meeting between Putin and Zelensky would require extensive preparation to produce meaningful results.
Following Wednesday’s discussions, the Kremlin said Putin had agreed in principle to resume trilateral negotiations with Ukraine and the United States after November 10.
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