The U.S. Is Pushing for Ukraine Peace Talks. Is Putin Interested?

Foreign Policy · David Ignatius · 2026-10-21 19:15 UTC

Steve Witkoff carries a peace plan to Russia, and the world will soon know who’s stalling.

Steve Witkoff carries a peace plan to Russia, and the world will soon know who’s stalling.

As Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky met with U.S. and European officials Tuesday in Oslo on Oct. 20 to discuss formulas for ending the brutal war in Ukraine, observers must have been asking the same question I have been puzzling over: Is this U.S.-led peace effort for real?

My answer is yes and no, based on reports from people close to the negotiations. On the positive side, U.S. and European envoys have worked with top Ukrainian officials to frame an agenda for talks with Russia that would explore mutual security guarantees for Kyiv and Moscow, plans for postwar economic integration and reconstruction, and territorial compromises.

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