UPDATE - Norway confirms US envoys Witkoff, Kushner to join Ukraine talks in Oslo

UPDATE WITH NORWEGIAN GOVERNMENT STATEMENT, CHANGES HEADLINE, DECK, LEDE,

By Necva Tastan Sevinc and Diyar Guldogan

ISTANBUL/WASHINGTON (AA) - ***US special envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner will participate in talks on Ukraine in Oslo on Tuesday, Norway’s government confirmed.

The envoys will join Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Finnish President Alexander Stubb and Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store, the Prime Minister’s Office said in a statement.

Witkoff will travel to Oslo, while Kushner will participate remotely.

“Ukraine has requested that the US special envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner join the talks. I am pleased that this is possible,” Store said.

“There have previously been diplomatic talks in several different countries, and Norway and Finland are happy to be able to contribute to continuing them. The goal is to get the diplomatic work on a more constructive track,” he added.

Local media reported Monday, citing a US official, that representatives of the E4, Britain, France, Germany and Poland, the European Union and NATO were also expected to participate.

The objective is to coordinate a comprehensive proposal that could provide the basis for renewed negotiations with Russia, said the official.

Witkoff and Kushner, President Donald Trump’s son-in-law, also spoke with Zelenskyy on Sunday to review progress and discuss next steps.

The reports, quoting the official, said Kushner will participate virtually in the Oslo discussions because he has the flu and is avoiding in-person meetings to prevent spreading the illness.

Following the Oslo meetings, Witkoff is also planning to travel to Russia, where he hopes to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin and present ideas developed in consultation with Ukraine and European partners, the official said.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Monday that Russia highly values US mediation efforts to resolve the conflict in Ukraine.

Speaking at a press briefing in Moscow, Peskov said a final settlement would require the participation of someone from Kyiv willing to take responsibility.

Trump, meanwhile, said that it may be time for someone other than Zelenskyy to negotiate on Kyiv's behalf.

"I think it's time for somebody else to negotiate on behalf of Ukraine because what's happened? A tremendous number of people are dead. They're losing their male population," he told reporters.

"Maybe it's time for Zelenskyy to get somebody else to negotiate."

Necva Taştan Sevinç,Diyar Güldoğan