Russian President Vladimir Putin held talks with President Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff in Moscow on Wednesday, days before the White House’s deadline for Russia to reach a peace deal with Ukraine or potentially face severe economic penalties that could also hit countries buying its oil.
The meeting lasted about three hours, Russian state media said. Putin’s foreign affairs adviser Yuri Ushakov said that Putin and Witkoff had a “useful and constructive conversation” that focused on the Ukrainian crisis and, in a nod toward improving relations between Washington and Moscow, “prospects for possible development of strategic cooperation between the U.S. and Russia.”
Mr. Trump wrote on Truth Social that the meeting was “highly productive.”
“Great progress was made! Afterwards, I updated some of our European Allies. Everyone agrees this War must come to a close, and we will work towards that in the days and weeks to come,” the president said.
Before the meeting with Putin, Witkoff took an early morning stroll through Zaryadye Park, a stone’s throw from the Kremlin, with Kirill Dmitriev, the Russian president’s envoy for investment and economic cooperation, footage aired by Russian news agency TASS showed.
Kremlin Press Office / Handout / Anadolu via Getty Images
Dmitriev played a key role in three rounds of direct talks between delegations from Russia and Ukraine in Istanbul in recent months, as well as discussions between Russian and U.S. officials. The negotiations have made no progress on ending the three-year war following Russia’s invasion of its neighbor.
Mr. Trump’s deadline for Putin ends Friday. Washington has threatened “severe tariffs” and other economic penalties if the killing doesn’t stop.
A senior Trump administration official said the meeting between Witkoff and Putin “went well.”
“The Russians are eager to continue engaging with the United States,” the official said. “The secondary sanctions are still expected to be implemented on Friday.”
Secretary of State Marco Rubio indicated that Witkoff was on his way back to the U.S., adding that “hopefully there’ll be some announcements here…
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