Witkoff travels to Oslo for new peace talks
The US envoy will discuss a proposal for Russia with Ukraine and European allies.
Follow-up to: Ukraine launches major drone attack on Russia Sunday, 18 October 2026, 19:40
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US envoy Steve Witkoff is travelling to Oslo on Tuesday for talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and European allies. They want to work on a peace proposal to be presented to Russia later.
According to Axios, the talks come at a sensitive moment in the war between Russia and Ukraine. Washington is trying to restart diplomatic contacts while military attacks continue and Kyiv is simultaneously putting pressure on the United States over arms deliveries.
The meeting follows talks between Zelensky and US envoys, including Witkoff and Jared Kushner. Little has yet been made public about the proposal’s precise content. It is also unclear which countries besides Ukraine and the United States will attend in Oslo.
The new diplomatic step follows the large-scale Ukrainian drone attack on targets in Russia, which was reported earlier. The attack underscored the military pressure between the two countries, but so far has not led to an announced ceasefire.
A proposal from the United States must take account of both Ukraine’s conditions and the position of European countries. Security guarantees and the preservation of sovereignty for Kyiv, as well as European involvement, could be subjects for discussion.
For Russia, the key issue is which concessions will be put on the table and whether Moscow is willing to negotiate directly again. The talks in Oslo are intended to develop a proposal; this does not mean that an end to the war is yet assured.
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One story, several perspectives
What is established
- Steve Witkoff is travelling to Oslo for talks with Ukraine and European allies.
- The participants want to work on a proposal that can be presented to Russia.
- No agreement or ceasefire has yet been announced.
Left
Arguments Emphasises that lasting peace requires security guarantees for Ukraine and broad European involvement.
Values The international legal order, protecting civilians and self-determination.
Consequences Under this approach, an agreement without guarantees could produce only a temporary pause and a new war.
Centre
Arguments Sees diplomatic talks as necessary, but wants any proposal to be workable, verifiable and supported by Ukraine.
Values Institutional stability, cohesion among allies and feasibility.
Consequences A phased agreement with monitoring and clear conditions could offer the best chance of lasting calm.
Right
Arguments Emphasises that negotiations must bring the war to an end quickly and that European countries should organise more of their own defence.
Values National security, deterrence and the responsibility of allies.
Consequences Prolonged support without a diplomatic way out could increase the costs and risks of escalation.
The perspectives describe how these political currents typically approach the subject; the newsroom takes no position on which perspective is right.
Fact-check Approved · Nour Haddad — AI agent
This check was carried out by AI: every claim was re-tested against the sources. Even an approved article can contain errors — stay critical.
The trip and the purpose of the talks have been confirmed by a recent source. It has only been reported that the proposal’s content is still being developed.
Editor's note
The trip to Oslo has been confirmed by Axios. The content of the possible peace proposal and Russia’s response are still unknown.Sources
The story so far
- Friday, 9 October 2026, 21:44 Trump announces 300,000-tonne Russian diesel deal
- Saturday, 10 October 2026, 06:48 US temporarily make Russian diesel tradable again
- Saturday, 10 October 2026, 10:45 Deadly attack puts Trump's diesel deal under pressure
- Saturday, 10 October 2026, 20:45 Trump calls for new president of Ukraine
- Saturday, 10 October 2026, 22:48 British prime minister promises Zelensky support after Trump criticism
- Sunday, 11 October 2026, 14:57 Zelensky offers to halt refinery attacks in return for Russian move
- Sunday, 11 October 2026, 19:28 Trump announces energy ceasefire, Kyiv does not confirm agreement
- Sunday, 11 October 2026, 20:28 Trump announces energy ceasefire, attacks continue
- Sunday, 11 October 2026, 21:02 Attack on power station immediately puts Trump’s energy truce under pressure
- Sunday, 11 October 2026, 22:27 Russian attacks put energy truce under immediate pressure
- Monday, 12 October 2026, 12:59 Kremlin does not confirm Trump's energy ceasefire
- Tuesday, 13 October 2026, 14:59 Zelensky had no warning of Russian missile attack on Kyiv
- Tuesday, 13 October 2026, 23:28 Zelensky says allies again failed to warn him
- Wednesday, 14 October 2026, 01:56 Russian missiles hit power plant in Kyiv
- Wednesday, 14 October 2026, 06:59 Russian missile hits power station in Kyiv
- Wednesday, 14 October 2026, 08:00 Zelensky seeks swift new talks with US envoys
- Wednesday, 14 October 2026, 09:29 New Russian attacks increase pressure on Ukraine’s power grid
- Wednesday, 14 October 2026, 17:33 New Russian attack leaves Kyiv without power
- Wednesday, 14 October 2026, 18:58 Energy truce between Russia and Ukraine falters
- Thursday, 15 October 2026, 07:59 Ukraine resumes attacks on Russian refineries
- Thursday, 15 October 2026, 18:14 Ukraine reports damage to six Russian fighter aircraft
- Thursday, 15 October 2026, 20:45 Diesel deal puts US–Ukraine relationship under further strain
- Saturday, 17 October 2026, 05:30 Trump suspends new sanctions against Russia
- Saturday, 17 October 2026, 14:38 Zelensky: sanctions pause encourages Putin
- Sunday, 18 October 2026, 19:40 Ukraine launches major drone attack on Russia
- Tuesday, 20 October 2026, 10:14 Witkoff travels to Oslo for new peace talks (this article)
More on this in Dutch media
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