US President Donald Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff is set to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin after holding what officials described as positive talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, as Washington seeks to ease tensions with Kyiv and advance efforts to end the war in Ukraine.
The visit is part of diplomatic efforts to resolve a growing rift between Trump and Zelensky over the conflict with Russia.
Following his meeting with Witkoff in Oslo, Zelensky thanked Washington on Tuesday for resuming intelligence sharing on Russian attacks, describing the assistance as crucial for protecting Ukrainian civilians.
The improved tone came after several days of tensions between Kyiv and Washington, following Trump’s reported agreement with Putin on diesel supplies and his call for a change in Ukraine’s leadership after Kyiv continued targeting Russian oil refineries.
“We are thankful that intelligence works,” Zelensky told reporters in Oslo, emphasising the importance of early warnings about incoming ballistic missile strikes for civilians, including children and adults.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, speaking during a visit to India, said Witkoff would travel to Russia following the constructive discussions with Zelensky.
“Armed with those ideas, he will be able to go to Saint Petersburg and share them with the Russian side, and let’s see if we can make some progress,” Rubio said.
Witkoff’s planned meeting with Putin on Wednesday was expected to include virtual participation by Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner, a US official said.
News agencies reported that Witkoff was received at Pulkovo Airport in Saint Petersburg by Kirill Dmitriev, the Kremlin’s adviser on international economic cooperation.
Trump said on Tuesday that he had asked Putin to release Stephen Hubbard, an American who was captured by Russian forces in Ukraine several years ago. It remained unclear whether the issue would be discussed during the planned meeting.
“I’ve been talking to him at length. I’ve asked him to release him. Let’s see what happens,” Trump told reporters in Washington.
The US president has continued to pressure Kyiv to reach an agreement with Moscow as Russia intensifies its attacks ahead of the approaching winter.
Trump reiterated at the White House that he wanted Zelensky to “make a deal” with Russia. He also criticised the Ukrainian president for rejecting terms that Trump said had been presented during a contentious meeting in the Oval Office in February 2025.
Tensions escalated further after Washington eased certain sanctions affecting Russia’s energy sector. Zelensky subsequently accused the US president of showing weakness towards Moscow and alleged that Washington was deliberately withholding critical intelligence and delaying the delivery of interceptor missiles.
Ukraine has also reported reduced speeds on Starshield, SpaceX’s military-grade satellite communications system used for battlefield communications and operations against Russian-occupied territory.
Trump denied ordering the reduction after Elon Musk, whose company SpaceX developed the system, suggested that such a decision could only have come from the White House.
Rubio said on Wednesday that Washington had no advance knowledge of the reported slowdown in SpaceX’s satellite communications services.
“The president has nothing to do with the decisions that are made by Starlink and Starshield and by Mr Musk,” Rubio said in Mumbai.
However, The Wall Street Journal reported on Tuesday that Musk had ordered the slowdown affecting the military-grade satellite service.
Witkoff’s planned meeting with Putin follows intensive diplomatic efforts in Washington, Kyiv and other Western capitals to ease tensions between the United States and Ukraine.
Zelensky told US senators on Monday that the Pentagon was delaying the delivery of missiles already purchased by European countries because the shipment was awaiting approval from US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth.
According to Zelensky, several European countries were prepared to transfer Patriot interceptor missiles from their own stockpiles but were waiting for Washington’s authorisation.
Trump, whose Republican Party faces a challenging midterm election campaign amid rising fuel prices, has accused Zelensky of failing to make sufficient efforts to resolve the conflict.
The US president has also expressed willingness to meet Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping in China next month to discuss nuclear disarmament. The Ukraine conflict could also feature in the discussions, raising concerns in Kyiv that decisions affecting the country could be made without its participation.
Zelensky insisted on Tuesday that Ukraine must be included in any negotiations concerning its future.
“If there are issues about Ukraine, our future, it can be acceptable only when we are at the table of negotiations,” he said.
The planned meeting between Witkoff and Putin is expected to provide another opportunity for Washington and Moscow to discuss the conflict, although it remains uncertain whether the diplomatic efforts will produce a breakthrough.
