Witkoff to Putin: There is a basis for a ceasefire

News studio: Ukraine talks in Oslo Ukrainian President Zelenskyj visits Oslo to discuss peace in Ukraine. The USA also participated in meetings on Tuesday. - Posted article Witkoff to Putin: There is a basis for a ceasefire 5 minNT The US special envoy Steve Witkoff was pictured during his visit to Moscow in early September. Photo: Gavriil Grigorov / Sputnik / Kremlin Pool Photo via AP / NTBWitkoff to Putin: There is a basis for a ceasefireRussian President Vladimir Putin met with the US special envoy Steve Witkoff on Wednesday morning, who claims there is a basis for a ceasefire in Ukraine, according to Russian state media. The meeting took place in the Konstantinovskij Palace in St. Petersburg and lasted for about three hours. Putin began the meeting by thanking Witkoff for President Donald Trump's efforts to end the war in Ukraine, and he also emphasized that Russia wishes to restore economic relations with the USA. Wi The meeting between Putin and Witkoff is over Photo: Gavriil Grigorov / AP / NTBThe meeting between Putin and Witkoff is overThe meeting took place in the Konstantinovskij Palace in St. Petersburg. It started at 11 o'clock and ended at 2 PM, according to the Russian state news agency Tass. The outcome of the meeting is currently unknown. Beforehand, the US envoy said he hopes Putin will consider resuming talks between Russia, the USA, and Ukraine. Trump links Hubbard's release to Russia sanctions Stephen Hubbard in a glass cell during a court hearing in Moscow in 2024. Photo: Moscow City Court Press Service via AP / NTBPresident Donald Trump says the American Stephen Hubbard would not have been released if the US had imposed new sanctions on Russia. On his website Truth Social, Trump writes that negotiations for his release would have stopped if sanctions had been imposed. Hubbard's release was announced when Russian President Vladimir Putin met with the US envoy Steve Witkoff in St. Petersburg on Wednesday. Hubbard was sentenced to almost seven years in prison in Russia in 2024 for fighting as a private soldier in Ukraine. Russian news agency: First diesel shipment to the USA is sent Thursday Russia's Deputy Prime Minister Aleksandr Novak says the first tanker of diesel to the USA will be sent on Thursday. Photo: Pavel Bednyakov / AP / NTBThe first Russian tanker with diesel is sailing to the USA on Thursday, according to the Russian state news agency Tass. – The first tanker to the USA is scheduled to depart tomorrow, Russian Deputy Prime Minister Aleksandr Novak was quoted by Tass on Wednesday. The delivery is the first according to the agreement that US President Donald Trump and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin concluded earlier this month. Trump announced that Russia would immediately supply the USA and the world with 300,000 tons of diesel. In November, Russia will export another 500,000 tons, and immediately after that, 1 million tons, according to Trump. The agreement has faced harsh criticism from Ukraine and its European allies. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyj called the agreement a "gift" to Putin. – We are not giving up our friends – We are not giving up our friends– You are among the friends. All parties in the Parliament stand together for support for Ukraine. Parliament President Masud Gharahkhani said this to Zelenskyj after the meeting at the Parliament. – We have talked about the Ukrainian children, how we will help them and how we will bring them home, says Zelenskyj. – To you and all your people, a thousand thanks. He says he will now return to Ukraine and will not participate in talks with Witkoff and Støre. – He is returning to Norway. Jonas said we will talk to him, says Zelenskyj. – You are not waiting for him? – We must move on. We must go back to Ukraine. But if there are any results, we will be in touch. Photo: Stein J. Bjørge / Aftenposten- We have suggestions for solutions. Photo: AP / NTB- We have suggestions for solutions.The US envoy Steve Witkoff said to Russian President Vladimir Putin in St. Petersburg, according to Reuters. He thanked Putin for the diesel agreement with Russia. He handed over a concrete document to Putin. – We have Ukraine with us, said Witkoff. The US envoy said he hopes Putin will consider resuming talks between Russia, the USA, and Ukraine. Regarding the Oslo talks on Tuesday, Witkoff said they were "productive talks". Putin asked Witkoff for a summary of the talks that the American envoy had with Zelenskyj in Oslo on Tuesday. Putin suggested that he and Donald Trump could meet in China. Putin is concerned about trade agreements between Russia and the USA and says that Russia can deliver "larger quantities" of fertilizer. In the meeting, Putin also said that the American citizen has been released from Russian captivity. The meeting took place in the Konstantinovskij Palace in St. Petersburg. Zelenskyj is at Parliament Photo: Stein J. Bjørge / AftenpostenZelenskyj is at ParliamentHe arrived at 10:42 AM. – We are very grateful to Norway, he said. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyj will meet, among others, Parliament President Masud Gharahkhani and the parliamentary leaders. Witkoff will present peace proposals to Putin, according to Axios. Photo: Mikhail Metzel / Reuters / NTBWitkoff will present peace proposals to Putin, according to Axios.The news website refers to information from an unnamed American official. The US envoy Steve Witkoff came to St. Petersburg on Wednesday morning, where he will meet Putin. The Axios source says the USA hopes the new proposal will open a way towards multilateral negotiations and a summit between Putin, Donald Trump, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyj. The Russians have previously rejected proposals for such a summit. (©NTB) Where are the obligations from the 1994 Budapest Memorandum? Is it so easy to just forget your obligations. The USA betrays both morally and commercially. That they want Europe to increase its defense budgets by 5% is only because they want to increase purchases from the USA. We must stop buying such things when there is no ammunition for them when they are needed. K Skinnes10:02Støre: Witkoff returns to Oslo after talks with Putin Photo: Jan T. Espedal / AftenpostenStøre: Witkoff returns to Oslo after having talks with PutinThe Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre says that the US envoy Steve Witkoff returns to Oslo after having talks with Putin in Russia, Støre said on NRK news in the morning. – It is a type of feedback, says Støre about what he expects from the talk with Witkoff. Regarding Tuesday's meeting, he says the atmosphere was professional. – But I think I and President Stubb managed to create an atmosphere that was personal. It was about the issues we were to discuss. – If we are to look ahead now, Europe must take a stronger role. We cannot throw all the cards in the hands of the Americans, said Støre. Støre says now it is about getting the leaders to meet. Steve Witkoff has landed in St. Petersburg Steve Witkoff has landed in St. PetersburgThe US envoy Steve Witkoff has landed in St. Petersburg. Reports the BBC. Witkoff was in Oslo on Tuesday, where he had talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyj, Finnish President Alexander Stubb, and Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre. Correction: A previous version of this news article stated that Witkoff had landed - before he had done so. Reuters, which first reported that Witkoff was in St. Petersburg, corrected the report. Photo: Obtained by Reuters / Reuters / NTBRubio calls the meeting between Zelenskyj and Witkoff in Oslo "positive" Rubio calls the meeting between Zelenskyj and Witkoff in Oslo "positive"US Secretary of State Marco Rubio says he has an impression that the meeting between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyj and the US envoy Steve Witkoff in Oslo was positive. In India on Wednesday, Rubio also said that nothing surprising or unexpected came from the talks. I wonder if Ukraine can give up any of its territories in any way? Nothing is being said, but it seems to be the only solution for us who read the media. But can Europe even accept a Ukraine that gives up something? What other real alternatives is it really possible to believe Putin accepts? No extra land for what?? But it is never discussed. hermansenclaeserikThis was a topic in April last year, when Zelenskyj, following Trump's statements about the possible relinquishment of Ukrainian territories, opened discussions about this. The Ukrainian president was also clear that a ceasefire was necessary for it to be possible to arrange what is necessary to carry out, for example, a referendum on relinquishing territory. This is again something that creates problems, as many of those living in occupied areas do not want the opportunity to participate in such a referendum, as they live under Russia's authoritarian occupation. Law professor Geir Ulfstein has previously written in Aftenposten that even if Ukraine were to agree to give up territory to Russia, it would still be a violation of international law and not legally binding under international law. He therefore argues that the areas would still continue to be considered illegally occupied by the international community.