Recent diplomatic efforts across Norway and Russia have failed to bring the war in Ukraine significantly closer to an conclusion. While international officials characterized recent discussions in Oslo as constructive, there are few signs that the fighting will cease in the immediate future.
The talks on Tuesday included Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, US President Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff, and various European representatives. In Norway, officials floated the potential for a trilateral meeting between President Vladimir Putin, Zelensky, and Trump to finalize an end to hostilities. However, Putin remains unwilling to meet with the Ukrainian president at any location other than Moscow.
Steve Witkoff acknowledged in a social media update that there is still significant work remaining, though he reaffirmed the commitment of the US administration to ending the conflict. The Kremlin has signaled a possible openness to resuming technical-level trilateral discussions next month in Abu Dhabi, but has offered no commitment to higher-level engagement.
