Witkoff arrives in St. Petersburg for talks with Putin

U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff arrived in St. Petersburg on Wednesday, Oct. 21, 2026, for talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin on ending the war in Ukraine, a day after meeting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Oslo.

The war is now in its fifth year, with Russia’s invasion more than four and a half years old, and The Associated Press reported that U.S. efforts since early last year to end it have made no significant progress.

Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov said the talks would take place at the Constantine Palace in St. Petersburg in the first half of the day, and that Kirill Dmitriev, Russia’s presidential envoy, would take part. “Negotiations on a settlement in Ukraine are, naturally, an integral part of today’s agenda,” Ushakov told reporters, according to the AP.

The AP said Dmitriev greeted Witkoff at the airport outside the city. No outcome of the meeting had been reported when this article was published, and any proposal Witkoff carried has not been made public.

Axios, citing a U.S. official, reported on Oct. 20 that Witkoff would present Putin with an updated proposal to end the war. The official said the Oslo discussions focused on a unified proposal for a “framework agreement” and that the hope is to “create a pathway toward direct trilateral and broader multilateral negotiations.” The official was not named.

Axios also reported, citing a source with knowledge of the talks, that Trump adviser Jared Kushner joined the Oslo meeting virtually and again pressed the U.S. demand that Ukraine stop striking Russian oil refineries. The AP story does not mention Kushner.

Zelenskyy said after Oslo that he is prepared to stop strikes on Russian refineries if Moscow takes reciprocal steps, and that the next step should be a meeting between himself, Putin and U.S. President Donald Trump, Axios reported. Russia has so far rejected that format, Axios said. Zelenskyy was still in Oslo on Wednesday, visiting the Norwegian parliament, the AP said.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said Tuesday that Moscow is willing to listen to new U.S. proposals but does not expect a “miracle” from Washington, the AP reported.

Trump said in the Oval Office on Tuesday: “We want Zelenskyy to make a deal.” He added that if there is no deal, “I think it’s going to be a very bad thing,” according to the AP.

Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store told the broadcaster NRK on Wednesday: “I think we may have entered a phase now where the Russians are also looking for opportunities for diplomacy.” He said Witkoff plans to return to Oslo for further consultations after the Russia trip, the AP reported.

The visit follows Washington’s decision to lift sanctions on Russian diesel sales, which Axios said the White House hopes will make Putin more willing to compromise. Our earlier coverage details the Oslo meeting and Trump’s remarks after the diesel decision.

For Canadians, the talks bear on policy Ottawa has backed alongside its allies. Canada is a member of the G7 and NATO, and leads the alliance’s multinational brigade in Latvia. Canada has also sanctioned Russia since the 2022 invasion. No Canadian government reaction to the Oslo or St. Petersburg talks had been found at publication time. Canada is also home to one of the world’s largest Ukrainian diaspora communities, whose members have followed any talk of a settlement closely.

Daily long-range strikes continue on both sides. Our reporting has tracked Ukrainian drone strikes on a St. Petersburg oil terminal on Oct. 18.

Next, watch for the Kremlin’s account of the meeting, any statement from the White House, and Witkoff’s reported return to Oslo. Claims on both sides cannot be independently verified from here.

Via The Associated Press and Axios.

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