In brief
Russian officials confirmed a renewed willingness to continue diplomatic engagement with Ukraine and the United States after a meeting in Oslo that aimed to broaden the scope of talks. The talks, which included Ukraine’s President Zelensky, U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff and Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre, did not culminate in a high‑level trilateral summit, with Russian adviser Yuri Ushakov noting only technical gains. Moscow is prepared to resume discussions in Abu Dhabi next month at a more granular level, while U.S. President Donald Trump has paused some sanctions on Russia, a move seen by Russian commentators as easing pressure on Putin. Despite promises of progress, both sides view the path to a comprehensive cease‑fire as distant, with the North Sea meeting viewed as a modest step toward eventual resolution.
After two days of diplomatic meetings in Norway and Russia, a clear move toward ending the war in Ukraine remains elusive. The Oslo session, regarded by the Norwegian leader as "good and constructive," involved President Zelensky, U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff and European officials, but did not pave the way for a high‑level summit with President Putin.
According to Yuri Ushakov, a Kremlin foreign‑policy aide present in St Petersburg during the talks, the discussions barely yielded actionable insight for resolving the Ukraine crisis. He stated that the information offered by Witkoff, which featured European and Kyiv perspectives, was largely unhelpful.
Moscow has signalled readiness to restart trilateral talks next month in Abu Dhabi; however, those discussions will be limited to technical matters rather than leadership negotiation.
U.S. President Donald Trump has relaxed certain sanctions on Russia and expressed criticism of President Zelensky, actions that Russian commentators say ease the Kremlin’s pressure and favour a peace-oriented but Russia‑led resolution. The possibility of a Putin‑Trump‑Zelensky summit remains uncertain, yet discussions about a future meeting in China between the three leaders suggest a potential for a new era of high‑level diplomacy.
