Russian President Vladimir Putin is set to meet with US presidential envoy Steve Witkoff on October 21, according to presidential aide Yuri Ushakov. The talks will take place at the Konstantinovsky Palace in St. Petersburg, with the Ukrainian conflict at the center of the discussions.
Ushakov said the American envoy’s visit had been arranged in advance, with preparations and coordination taking place over several days. He emphasized that the meeting had been expected by the Russian side and was not a surprise.
The presidential aide confirmed that negotiations on resolving the conflict in Ukraine would be the main focus of the meeting.
Kirill Dmitriev, Russia’s special presidential representative for investment and economic cooperation with foreign countries, will also participate in the talks. Meanwhile, Jared Kushner will not travel to Russia due to illness.
Ushakov also stated that Moscow had held no negotiations with Vladimir Zelensky. He stressed that previous agreements had been discussed without the involvement of the Ukrainian side.
The meeting follows Witkoff’s talks in Oslo the previous day with Zelensky, Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre and Finnish President Alexander Stubb. Their discussions covered Ukraine’s security, post-conflict reconstruction, territorial disputes, sanctions and the future structure of European security.
Stubb later reported that the participants had identified key elements of potential agreements on security and economic cooperation. According to the Finnish president, Witkoff is expected to present these proposals to the Russian side during the negotiations.