US officials to visit Norway and Russia for Ukraine talks

US President Donald Trump's special representative, Steve Witkoff, is preparing to travel to Norway and Russia this week to discuss a new round of negotiations to end the war in Ukraine and the release of US citizen Stephen Hubbard, who is detained in Russia.

According to three sources familiar with the matter, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is expected to participate in the planned talks in Norway's capital, Oslo. Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner, who was projected to join the negotiations, will reportedly participate in the meetings virtually due to illness. In addition to Zelenskyy, the contacts in Oslo are anticipated to include Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre, the E4 group consisting of the UK, France, Germany, and Poland, as well as representatives from the European Union and NATO.

Witkoff is also scheduled to travel on to Russia to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin. It was stated that discussions in Russia will address the release of US citizen Stephen Hubbard, who was imprisoned in 2022, alongside issues related to Ukraine. While sources noted that the schedule is not finalized and is subject to change, the White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment.