Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky arrived in Oslo for talks with Steven Witkoff to discuss the issue of peace negotiations. Determined to shore up his support from European leaders as he moves to undermine the attempts of President Trump to bring him to the peace table, Zelensky, on arrival, first met with Norway’s King Haakon, then with Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre, and with Finnish President Alexander Stubb. He hopes they will give him back-up in resisting the U.S. initiatives.
This “session” seems to have been arranged by the two Scandinavian leaders in an attempt to bring them—and Europe—into the negotiating process. Zelensky was also working overtime in his attempt to undermine Trump in a phone call he had with North Carolina Senator Tom Tillis (R) and Connecticut Senator Richard Blumenthal (D), who are intent on preventing Trump’s rapprochement with Russia by threatening the passage of his gargantuan defense bill if Trump moves forward with his plans. The problem with Zelensky’s “David vs. Goliath” fight with the U.S. President, however, is that he has neither a sling nor rocks. As Trump famously said to him last February, “You don’t have the cards.” On his way to the meeting with Witkoff, Zelensky was about to talk to the waiting media, but he was whisked away by Stubb, who appeared fearful that any statement by the irascible Zelensky could entirely disrupt the Witkoff meeting.
Speaking to reporters after the meeting, Stubb said that the meeting included “key issues such as air defense, energy facilities, and the introduction of a partial ceasefire, for example in the areas of energy and food security.” There had also been discussion of a post-Ukraine “European security order”, according to Støre, but much of the discussion had focused on some form of security guarantees for Ukraine. Further details on the matter were not revealed. Stubb expressed his satisfaction with the meeting, which is probably a sign that there is nothing new being offered. Zelensky was doing his usual song-and-dance about being the victim of Russian aggression. He also said he had talked with Secretary of State Rubio before the meeting, implying that Ukraine would again be connected to the Starlink system.
Witkoff said that he will now travel to Moscow together with Jared Kushner, who participated in the Oslo meeting remotely, to inform President Putin of the results of the meeting. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov expressed skepticism of any new results coming from this European-choreographed arrangement, saying that Russia would listen to what the two envoys have to present when they arrive on October 21, but he also reiterated that Russia was not prepared to make further “political concessions.”
While the two Scandinavian leaders were the hosts, there had also been phone calls with EU leaders during the course of these discussions.
