Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre said Tuesday that U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff will travel to St. Petersburg on Wednesday to relay peace proposals hammered out with Ukraine and European leaders in Oslo, the first time Washington has publicly attached a Russia trip to the same negotiating round that included President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
The meetings in Norway's capital brought together Zelenskyy, Støre, Finnish President Alexander Stubb and Witkoff, with Jared Kushner joining remotely, according to Norway's government. Støre told reporters the session was meant to put diplomacy on a "more constructive path" after a month of public spats between Kyiv and the Trump administration over intelligence sharing, air-defense interceptors and satellite communications.
What changed in Oslo
Stubb said participants made "genuine progress" on both immediate security issues and longer-term questions about guarantees and economic recovery. Zelenskyy said Ukraine and its partners now have "specific proposals" for ending the war that the U.S. side will carry to Moscow.
The Ukrainian president also said Washington has resumed sharing early-warning intelligence on Russian ballistic missile launches, allowing civilians more time to reach shelter. He thanked the United States after weeks in which Ukrainian officials complained that alerts had slowed or stopped, a charge U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio rejected on Tuesday as "scandalous."
Rubio, speaking during a visit to India, said he held a long call with Zelenskyy and that there was no "deliberate political directive to harm Ukraine." Zelenskyy said the two discussed Patriot interceptors, early-warning systems and the status of Starlink and Starshield services, adding that commercial Starlink access should be fully restored within 48 hours.
The Russia leg
Støre did not detail the written proposals Witkoff will present in St. Petersburg. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said Moscow is willing to listen to new ideas, and Russian state media reported that a Witkoff visit was being arranged, though the White House has not confirmed the schedule.
Finnish and Norwegian officials framed the Russia trip as a test of whether Moscow will engage with terms discussed outside the Kremlin. Stubb said some elements could point toward a partial ceasefire or stronger protection of Ukrainian energy infrastructure, but any pause would require Russian consent.
What comes next
Zelenskyy said Ukraine still needs security guarantees comparable to NATO's Article 5 after any settlement, a demand Russia has long rejected. Ukrainian negotiators said they expect initial Russian reactions after Witkoff's meetings, while European capitals watch to see whether Washington keeps Ukraine inside the channel or pursues a separate understanding with Moscow.
For now, the measurable shift from Oslo is operational: missile warnings are flowing again, Starlink restoration is on the clock, and a U.S. envoy is carrying European-backed language toward St. Petersburg less than a day after sitting beside Zelenskyy in Norway.