US envoy to meet Putin in Russia as Zelensky says intelligence sharing ‘works now’

On Wednesday, US special envoy Steve Witkoff will meet Russian President Vladimir Putin in St Petersburg to discuss proposals for ending Russia's ongoing conflict with Ukraine. This meeting comes one day after Witkoff's meeting with Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky in Oslo, which US officials described as "constructive". Zelensky previously accused the US of withholding key intelligence, a claim Washington rejected as "scandalous".

Zelensky stated recently that intelligence sharing on Russian missile attacks "works now". At the Oslo talks, Zelensky and his European allies said Russia must now respond to the proposals agreed upon. Finnish President Alexander Stubb, who also attended the talks, stated that genuine progress was made on peace proposals, but provided no details and warned patience was needed.

The US envoy was not present at the joint press conference after the Oslo talks. Jared Kushner, another key envoy, participated via video link. A US official stated that the talks were "very productive and constructive", and there was a "strong alignment at the working level" among the US, Ukraine and Europe on the "next steps".

The official confirmed Witkoff's upcoming meeting with Putin and that Kushner would again participate virtually.