US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff met Volodymyr Zelensky in Oslo on October 20, with Norway, Finland and Ukraine calling the talks constructive. Witkoff was due in St Petersburg the next day to relay the Oslo proposals to Vladimir Putin and to press for the release of an American held since 2022. Sergei Lavrov said the Kremlin would hear him out but ruled out political concessions. Russia then released Stephen Hubbard, Witkoff suggested resuming technical-level trilateral talks, and the Kremlin says it may be willing to resume talks with the US and Ukraine next month. The substance of the proposals and the scope of any further concessions remain open.