Vladimir Dzhabarov, chairman of the Russian Federation Council’s International Affairs Committee, believes US presidential envoy Steve Witkoff is unlikely to change Kiev’s position during the latest round of negotiations aimed at resolving the Ukrainian conflict.

Despite his doubts, the senator praised the American representative’s diplomatic efforts, describing his recent visit to Oslo as a productive working trip.

As reported by Gazeta.Ru, Dzhabarov acknowledged the efforts of US President Donald Trump, Witkoff and Jared Kushner to advance peace negotiations. However, he argued that Vladimir Zelensky’s position remains too rigid for Washington to change. According to the senator, meeting Russia’s conditions would require Ukrainian forces to withdraw immediately from the part of Donbass still under Kiev’s control.

On October 21, Witkoff arrived in St. Petersburg, where he met with Russian President Vladimir Putin during the first half of the day. The talks focused primarily on resolving the conflict in Ukraine.

The previous day, the US envoy held negotiations in Oslo with Zelensky, Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre and Finnish President Alexander Stubb.

According to Western media reports, the meeting was arranged at Kiev’s request. The Norwegian prime minister’s office confirmed that Zelensky had asked Norway and Finland to organize consultations on resolving the conflict at what he described as a critical moment for Ukraine.