Uitkoff called the negotiations with Putin constructive
U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff assessed the negotiations with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Saint Petersburg as constructive.
Witkoff assessed the negotiations with Putin as constructive
At the same time, he stated that a lot of work still needs to be done in the process of settling the situation in Ukraine.
"While significant work remains ahead, President Trump remains committed to reaching a comprehensive, lasting peace that serves to end this war and secure safety and prosperity for future generations," he said.
On October 20, negotiations took place in Oslo between the US President's special envoy Steve Witkoff, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Finnish President Alexander Stubb, and Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre. After that, Witkoff traveled to Saint Petersburg to meet with Vladimir Putin, from where he returned to Norway and reported on the results of the three-hour negotiations with the Russian president.
The Kremlin called these negotiations productive and indicated that the next round of trilateral expert-level consultations on Ukraine could be held in Abu Dhabi in early November. Such meetings last took place in February.
The practical essence of the meeting was not to announce a ready-made agreement, but to hand over documents reflecting approaches to settling the conflict to the Russian side and to discuss the possibility of resuming trilateral consultations between Russia, the US, and Ukraine. According to reports, the next round may be held at the expert level in Abu Dhabi and be dedicated to technical issues.
In January 2026, such a format allowed for the simultaneous discussion of security, political, and economic issues, while the participation of American representatives was intended to reduce the risk of the negotiations collapsing. At the same time, the working groups in Abu Dhabi bypassed the main political aspects of the settlement; back then, no progress was observed on the territorial issue, and the withdrawal of Ukrainian troops from Donbas was not considered.
The main obstacle in moving from technical consultations to agreements is the divergence of the parties' positions. Moscow maintains its strict demands, while Kyiv sharply rejects them.