US envoy to present Putin with updated Ukraine peace proposal after talks with Zelenskyy: Report

By Diyar Guldogan

WASHINGTON (AA) - White House envoy Steve Witkoff will meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin in St. Petersburg on Wednesday to present an updated proposal aimed at ending the war in Ukraine, Axios reported.

The news site, citing a US official, said President Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner will join the meeting virtually.

The meeting will follow Witkoff’s talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy as the Trump administration pursues diplomatic efforts to bring an end to the conflict.

Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store said Tuesday that Witkoff will travel to St. Petersburg on Wednesday to meet with Russia’s leadership and convey ideas discussed during talks with Ukrainian and Nordic leaders in Norway.

Speaking at a news conference in Oslo alongside Zelenskyy and Finnish President Alexander Stubb, Store said Witkoff would exchange views on proposals developed by European and US officials, potentially paving the way for a meeting at the leaders' level.

Store said the talks in Norway had been "good and constructive," stressing the importance of continued cooperation to advance diplomatic efforts toward ending the war in Ukraine.

Trump said Tuesday that the European Union is getting “tired of spending” money on Ukraine and urged Zelenskyy to reach a deal to end the war with Russia.

Asked whether the peace process was back on track after the talks in Oslo, he said: “I think what’s happening is that Russia would like to get it done.”

“Russia is a big machine. They just keep grinding forward,” he said. “They have an unlimited supply of people.”

Diyar Güldoğan