LOS ANGELES, October 25, 2026 – Steve Witkoff arrived in Russia on Wednesday morning for discussions with President Vladimir Putin about the latest proposals for a cessation of hostilities from the United States of America. This happened after Witkoff held discussions in Oslo with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and other European leaders that left everyone cautiously optimistic, but without a noticeable breakthrough.
The reaction of the Russian government was not encouraging. Spokesman for the Kremlin, Dmitry Peskov, stated that the latest peace proposals were “lacking substance,” while Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said the Russians will listen to Witkoff, but will not offer any political concessions.
So the stage was set: Washington wants movement; Kyiv wants security guarantees; Moscow wants concessions without giving any. Not exactly a recipe for a quick deal.
What happened in Oslo
In Tuesday’s meeting in Oslo, Witkoff joined Zelenskyy along with Finland’s president, Alexander Stubb, and Norway’s prime minister, Jonas Gahr Støre. Also attending via video connection was Jared Kushner, son-in-law to the president of the United States, Donald Trump. In comments after the meeting, a US official said that it had been “very productive and constructive,” owing to the “strong alignment at the working level” between the US, Ukraine and Europe.
“Genuine progress” had been made on peace initiatives, Stubb was reported saying, but did not offer details of what they were. In fact, the comment about patience required sounded more like a warning than an exercise in diplomacy.
For his part, Zelenskyy stated that Ukraine was “ready for negotiations.” “Strong” security guarantees and energy ceasefire ideas had also been discussed, but their terms were not disclosed.
Intelligence sharing repaired
This meeting took place amid a strained period in relations between the United States and Ukraine, with the Ukrainian capital having accused the Americans of failing to pass on intelligence that would alert civilians of incoming attacks from Russia.
By Tuesday, Zelenskyy struck a more conciliatory note. “I am thankful that intelligence works now,” he said, explaining that early-warning information helps civilians respond when ballistic missiles approach. He also said he hoped for a good outcome on Starlink access after Ukraine’s military reported speed restrictions affecting drones using the network.
It’s important operationally. The Russian attacks persisted throughout the week; for example, there were at least ten deaths reported on Tuesday in Ukraine in Kyiv, Donetsk, and Dnipro, as well as two overnight in Kharkiv.
Moscow’s hard line
Before the meeting, Putin had not made any comments regarding the recent proposals. However, Lavrov’s statement is quite clear – Russia will listen to Witkoff but will not make political concessions.
This brings us back to the old dilemma – Moscow controls approximately 20% of Ukrainian territory; therefore, the Kremlin demands the recognition of territorial gains and restrictions on the security partnerships. On the other hand, Kyiv insists on the inclusion of security guarantees in the solution.
European leaders are monitoring the situation closely. The German Chancellor, Friedrich Merz, described the “mixed pictures and messages” from Washington and encouraged the U.S. to end the war together with Europe. The Norwegian Prime Minister, Støre, went even further and claimed that “Europe must be at the table.”
What comes next
The most immediate concern is how Putin will respond to the offer, reject it, or buy more time with it. Witkoff’s visit is the most recent effort aimed at turning the Oslo alignment into reality; however, in itself, it does not constitute a peace deal.
Trump pressured Kyiv to make a deal because Russia is ready to get this done and “it is time for Ukraine to end this war.” Zelensky responded quite frankly: “Of course, we are not losing this war, but we are losing people because Russia attacks.”
For the moment, the talks continue. However, given the ongoing drone strikes launched from Russia on Ukrainian cities and Moscow’s unwillingness to give in, the gap between the negotiating table and the ceasefire is still vast.
