A few days earlier, President Donald Trump’s special envoy, Steve Witkoff, took part in discussions in Oslo with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and European leaders, while U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio described the conversation as “positive” and “without surprises.” Rubio said that the meeting produced ideas to be conveyed to Russia and indicated that Witkoff would arrive in St. Petersburg for negotiations with Russian officials on ending the war.
The discussions took place at a time of tensions between Washington and Kyiv: Trump called for “someone else” to negotiate on Ukraine’s behalf, while Zelensky accused him of pressuring Ukraine to surrender. The EU’s foreign policy chief, Kaja Kallas, reproached Washington for favoring conditions advantageous to Moscow, while according to previous reports, the plan prepared by the U.S. administration sought security guarantees for Ukraine, European integration, and a framework for lasting peace.
