US envoy Witkoff to visit Russia following talks with Zelenskyy, Nordic leaders

By Melike Pala

BRUSSELS (AA) - Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store said Tuesday that US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff will travel to St. Petersburg on Wednesday to meet Russian leadership and convey ideas discussed during talks with Ukrainian and Nordic leaders in Norway,

Speaking at a news conference in Oslo alongside Ukrainian President Volodymyr 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.

He added that discussions covered security guarantees for Ukraine, post-war reconstruction and prosperity, territorial issues, sanctions and the future European security order.

Store stressed that Europe must have a central role in any effort to secure peace.

"Europe needs to be at the table. There has been a weakness that Europe has not been enough central to this," he said.

Stubb said the discussions also addressed immediate priorities, including air defense, energy infrastructure and partial ceasefires covering energy and food security.

He described the negotiations as progressing well at the technical level, saying, "I feel that we are on the same page, and the next steps are about how do we get there."

He said Finland sought to facilitate dialogue between Washington and Kyiv, as well as between Ukraine and Russia, while maintaining its commitment to international law.

"We believe that it is better to talk than not to talk," said Stubb.