Rubio calls Witkoff-Zelensky talks positive as envoy heads to Russia

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio called the October 21 meeting in Oslo between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff "positive" and "without surprises," as Witkoff now travels to Russia to meet with Vladimir Putin. Rubio stated in Mumbai that Witkoff, armed with ideas from the talks, will share them with the Russian side in St. Petersburg to see if progress can be achieved. Reuters sources indicate Witkoff will first meet Putin's special envoy Kirill Dmitriev, with negotiations with the Kremlin leader expected afterward. The American envoy is expected to propose direct trilateral talks between Putin, Trump, and Zelensky, though previous Kremlin rejections make success unlikely. Zelensky said Kyiv has "clear ideas" for peace and announced a possible call with Rubio on Thursday. The European Commission backed Zelensky's position on respecting Ukraine's territorial integrity.