Ukraine peace talks move to Oslo, with Europe at the table

Two weeks after a round of Ukraine talks in Miami was cut short, the diplomats moved north. On Tuesday, President Volodymyr Zelensky sat down in Oslo with Europe’s leaders and one of President Donald Trump’s closest envoys.

Steve Witkoff traveled to Oslo on Oct. 20 for talks on ending the war in Ukraine, joining Zelensky, Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre and Finnish President Alexander Stubb, Al Jazeera reported. Norway said Ukraine had asked for Witkoff and Jared Kushner to take part, according to European Pravda. Kushner joined remotely, reportedly because he was ill, according to the coverage.

Europe in the room

The guest list matters. Representatives from the U.K., France, Germany, Poland, the European Union and NATO were also expected to attend, Reuters reported, according to Ukrinform. That’s a very different table from the one Vladimir Putin proposed this week: a three-way summit with Trump and Xi Jinping that would leave Ukraine out entirely.

Oslo is Kyiv’s version of the format. Ukraine and its European partners in the room, an American envoy at the table, and ideas worked out together before anyone takes them to Moscow.

Next stop, Moscow

After Oslo, Witkoff is expected to travel to Russia to meet Putin and present ideas developed with Ukraine and its European partners, Meduza reported, citing Reuters and Axios. The timing of that visit is unknown.

That sequence is the whole strategy. Ukraine wants the American proposal shaped with its input before it reaches Putin. Moscow wants to negotiate directly with Washington. Witkoff is the messenger between them, and what he carries from Oslo to Moscow will reveal how much of Kyiv’s position survived the trip.

Tension with Washington

The talks happen against visible friction between Kyiv and the White House. Trump has publicly suggested someone other than Zelensky should negotiate for Ukraine, according to the coverage. The previous round of talks in Miami on Oct. 9 was cut short, Reuters reported, according to Meduza.

Zelensky described a recent call with Secretary of State Marco Rubio as “constructive,” according to the reporting, but it’s unclear whether Rubio committed to Ukraine’s requests on Patriot air-defense interceptors and intelligence sharing. Those requests are not abstract. Patriot interceptors protect Ukrainian cities from missile attacks, and intelligence sharing helps Ukraine see what’s coming.

Why Norway

Norway has a long history as a host for peace talks, from the Oslo Accords in the 1990s to quieter mediation in conflicts around the world. It borders Russia in the far north, belongs to NATO and sits outside the European Union, which gives it a particular kind of neutrality within the Western camp. Hosting the talks is a role Norway knows how to play, and one that keeps it close to decisions that will shape Europe’s security for years.

Who gains from Oslo

For Europe, the Oslo format is a way to stay central. A deal negotiated between Washington and Moscow without European input could reshape the continent’s security without its consent. Showing up in force in Oslo signals that Europe expects a seat.

For Ukraine, it’s a way to keep its partners aligned and visible. For Washington, it’s a chance to show progress while keeping options open with Moscow. And for Moscow, which wasn’t in Oslo, the question is whether anything Witkoff brings is worth engaging with, or whether its own summit idea is the better bet.

The view from Kyiv

For Ukrainians living through a war now in its fifth year, these meetings can feel distant: leaders in Scandinavian capitals discussing frameworks while air raid sirens continue at home. What matters on the ground is whether diplomacy produces fewer attacks, more air defenses or a credible path to an end.

Oslo produced, at least publicly, more of a process than a result. That’s often how peace talks work, but it’s cold comfort to people waiting for the war to stop.

Finland’s presence is notable on its own. Stubb leads a country that shares a long border with Russia and joined NATO after the full-scale invasion. Finnish and Norwegian leaders at the table are a reminder that, for Russia’s neighbors, the outcome is not a distant policy question.

What we don’t know

The substance of the ideas discussed in Oslo hasn’t been made public in the coverage reviewed for this story. Some details, including Kushner’s remote participation, come from single outlets. It’s also unclear how Putin will receive whatever Witkoff presents, or whether a meeting in Moscow will happen soon.

Two summits are now being floated for the same war, with very different guest lists. Oslo put Ukraine at the table. Putin’s version would not. The next few weeks will show which table matters more.

Sources

• Al Jazeera: Zelensky to hold talks in Oslo with Witkoff
• European Pravda: Norway confirms talks in Oslo
• Ukrinform: Witkoff, Kushner to travel to Norway
• Meduza: Witkoff to attend talks in Norway and meet Putin
• AFP via The Times of Israel: U.S. envoys to take part in Oslo talks
• Arab News: U.S. envoys in Oslo talks

Photos

• “Picturesque View of Parliament Building at Night” by dibrova, Envato Elements (featured image)