US President Donald Trump’s special envoy, Steve Witkoff, met Russian President Vladimir Putin in St Petersburg on Friday to advance discussions on a ceasefire in Ukraine. The meeting comes as Trump publicly called on Russia to “get moving” to end the ongoing war.
Putin welcomed Witkoff at the presidential library, with Russian media airing visuals of the encounter. Witkoff, accompanied by Putin’s investment envoy Kirill Dmitriev, has become central to US-Russia diplomatic efforts, especially around Arctic cooperation and rare earth mineral investments.
Trump Warns Moscow on Delays
The peace dialogue remains fragile as negotiations over the conditions for a complete ceasefire have reached a stalemate. Trump, showing signs of impatience, warned he might impose secondary sanctions on nations purchasing Russian oil if progress stalls.
“Russia has to get moving. Too many people (are) DYING, thousands a week, in a terrible and senseless war—a war that should have never happened, and wouldn’t have happened, if I were President!!!” Trump said on Truth Social.
Russia Pushes Demands; Kyiv Resists
Putin has expressed willingness for a ceasefire but insists on key demands—blocking Ukraine’s NATO entry, limiting its military size, and securing full control over four disputed Ukrainian regions. Kyiv has rejected these as surrender terms.
Possible Trump-Putin Meeting?
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov hinted that Putin and Witkoff might explore a future Trump-Putin summit, although he downplayed Friday’s meeting, saying it was unlikely to produce breakthroughs.
This marked the third meeting between Witkoff and Putin this year. Witkoff will continue diplomatic efforts with a visit to Oman for talks with Iran on its nuclear program, amid rising tensions with both Iran and China.
Meanwhile, recent US-Russia talks in Istanbul have shown progress on restoring diplomatic missions. February’s meeting between the two leaders resulted in the release of American teacher Marc Fogel. On Thursday, a new prisoner swap occurred between both countries.
