Witkoff to Meet Putin as Trump Presses Kyiv to Settle

US special envoy Steve Witkoff will meet Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow on Wednesday, carrying what Washington hopes could be the beginnings of a pathway to peace talks, after a day of intensive diplomacy with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Norway. The announcement landed as President Donald Trump turned up the pressure on Kyiv to make a deal.

"Ukraine has to want to settle this war," Trump told reporters at the White House on Tuesday, according to Reuters. He said Moscow wanted to get the deal done and argued Russia held the upper hand: "Russia is a big machine — they just keep grinding forward, and that's what they've done. They've taken a very large piece of land."

Witkoff to meet Putin: what happened in Oslo

Tuesday's meeting in Oslo brought together Zelenskyy, Witkoff, the leaders of Norway and Finland and European and NATO representatives, with diplomats from the UK, France, Germany and Poland also involved. It was Zelenskyy's attempt to repair a relationship with Washington that has sunk to new lows in recent weeks, as Trump has courted Moscow and Kyiv has complained that vital military support and intelligence were being withheld.

A US official, speaking to Reuters on condition of anonymity, described the talks as "constructive" and said Ukraine had brought forward "new ideas and proposals". The official said participants made "meaningful progress" toward a coordinated approach to engaging Russia, covering what were described as "key elements of a comprehensive peace framework": security guarantees for Ukraine, a post-war economic plan and a broader European security architecture.

Witkoff's mission, the official said, would be to "create a pathway toward direct trilateral and broader multilateral negotiations" — a possible route to the three-way leader meeting involving Ukraine, Russia and the United States that Kyiv has long pushed for.

The Times reported that Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner, a key figure in the administration's diplomacy, would join the Moscow session virtually.

Trump presses Kyiv to settle: "nothing but grief"

Trump's remarks on Tuesday were among his most blunt yet about Ukraine's leadership. "We have given tremendous amounts to Ukraine. We've got nothing back other than high [cost] diesel," he said from the White House. "We've given a lot to Ukraine. We've gotten absolutely nothing back except grief, death, tremendous monetary loss."

The reference to diesel pointed to the deal Trump struck with Putin 10 days ago lifting sanctions on Russian diesel — a move he said would help bring down high fuel prices that have upset US voters ahead of the midterm elections on November 3, Reuters reported.

At the weekend, Trump also issued a broad waiver of tougher sanctions on Russia that had been meant to take effect this week. Both gestures have drawn bipartisan pushback in Congress and alarm in European capitals, where leaders fear Washington is tilting toward Moscow at Kyiv's expense.

Yet the administration insists it is not deliberately hurting Ukraine. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, speaking on a visit to India on Tuesday, acknowledged that a consignment of Patriot interceptors bought by European countries for Ukraine may not have been delivered — but denied any policy change. "There has not been some deliberate political directive to go out and harm Ukraine," Rubio said. Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth said Washington wanted to keep its own stockpiles full: "Certainly, with things like interceptors, we want to make sure our guys have the most possible as well."

Zelenskyy: security guarantees and missiles top the list

For Zelenskyy, Tuesday was about concrete asks. He said he had pressed for "Article 5-like" security guarantees — referring to the NATO principle that an attack on one ally is an attack on all — and welcomed Washington's response. "I am thankful to the American side that they underlined again that it will be strong," he said.

He also confirmed that Ukraine was once again receiving early warnings of Russian missile attacks after a 45-minute phone call with Rubio. "Now it works, it's great," Zelenskyy said. He said the pair had discussed supplies of Patriot interceptors as well as Starlink, the satellite system Ukraine relies on for communications.

Still, Zelenskyy sounded cautious about what Moscow would offer. "Steve Witkoff is going to Russia tomorrow. Let's see what Putin has to say," he said. Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre called the Oslo meeting "good and constructive", while Finland's Alexander Stubb said: "I think the (peace) process is back on track."

Stephen Hubbard release: Trump says deal close

Trump also suggested Wednesday's Moscow meeting could yield a separate breakthrough: the release of Stephen Hubbard, an American teacher in his mid-70s arrested by Russia for serving in Ukraine. "I've asked him to release him, let's see what happens," Trump said of Putin, according to The Times.

War grinds on despite the diplomacy

The talks unfolded against another night of heavy Russian strikes. Moscow bombarded cities in western Ukraine overnight, targeting electricity systems and knocking out power across swathes of the country that had previously been spared, Reuters reported. Energy facilities were attacked in seven regions, the western Lviv region was struck again during the day, and drones hit an energy facility in Kyiv, knocking out power in four districts, according to mayor Vitali Klitschko.

Russia's defence ministry said it had struck three cargo vessels in Ukraine's port of Reni and two others en route to Odesa, along with two logistics hubs — a claim Reuters carried without independent confirmation.

For now, Ukraine has resumed strikes on Russian oil refineries after holding back for several days in deference to Trump's request, with Kyiv saying Russia showed no sign of complying with the president's call to spare energy systems.

Why it matters

Wednesday's meeting is the first direct US-Russia channel of this intensity since relations began to sour publicly, and it comes with Washington openly pressuring its own ally. If Witkoff can establish even the framework for trilateral talks, it would mark the first genuine diplomatic opening of the war in months. If he returns empty-handed, the split between Washington and European capitals — already visible in the sanctions waiver and the diesel deal — will only deepen.

For US and UK readers, the stakes are immediate: the shape of any peace framework, the future of American weapons deliveries to Ukraine, and the political fallout of Trump's pressure campaign will all move quickly from here.

What happens next

Witkoff meets Putin in Moscow on Wednesday, with Kushner joining virtually. Kyiv, meanwhile, will watch the Moscow readout closely — and keep one eye on whether the promised Patriot interceptors actually arrive.

FAQs

When will Steve Witkoff meet Vladimir Putin?
US special envoy Steve Witkoff will meet Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow on Wednesday, October 21, 2026. The meeting follows what a US official called "constructive" talks between Witkoff and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Oslo on Tuesday. Jared Kushner is expected to join the Moscow session virtually.

What did Trump say about Ukraine settling the war?
President Donald Trump said on Tuesday that "Ukraine has to want to settle this war" and claimed Moscow wanted a deal. He accused Kyiv of giving the US "nothing but grief, death, tremendous monetary loss" despite, in his words, "tremendous amounts" of American support, and said "Russia is a big machine" that keeps grinding forward.

What was discussed at the Oslo Ukraine talks?
According to a US official who spoke to Reuters anonymously, the Oslo talks covered "key elements of a comprehensive peace framework", including security guarantees for Ukraine, a post-war economic plan and a broader European security architecture. Ukraine brought forward "new ideas and proposals", and participants made "meaningful progress" toward engaging Russia.

Who is Stephen Hubbard?
Stephen Hubbard is an American teacher in his mid-70s who was arrested by Russia for serving in Ukraine. President Trump said on Tuesday that the US was close to securing a deal with Putin for his release: "I've asked him to release him, let's see what happens."

Are US weapons still reaching Ukraine?
A source familiar with the matter said most weapons deliveries under the Prioritised Ukraine Requirements List (PURL) — under which European countries buy US weaponry for Kyiv — continued to flow. But Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth had not approved Ukraine's latest requests for Patriot interceptors, and Marco Rubio acknowledged a consignment bought by European countries may not have been delivered.

What did Zelenskyy ask for in Oslo?
Zelenskyy pressed for "Article 5-like" security guarantees, Patriot missile interceptors, restored early warnings of Russian missile attacks and a fix for Starlink/Starshield access problems. He confirmed after a 45-minute call with Marco Rubio that early warnings were working again: "Now it works, it's great."

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By GlobalDeskNews Staff