Witkoff meets Putin as Kremlin says Ukraine must make necessary decisions for peace with Russia

Talks in St. Petersburg

Witkoff met Putin on Wednesday in St. Petersburg. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Moscow would examine proposals on the war brought by the U.S. envoy, but negotiations would take a long time.

Russian officials said before the meeting that Moscow’s demands and position were unchanged. Video of its opening showed Witkoff saying he hoped to discuss restarting trilateral talks among Russia, the United States and Ukraine; the Kremlin gave no sign of a new willingness to take part.

Possible leaders’ meeting

Russian state media reported that officials told Witkoff a meeting involving President Trump, Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping was possible. The White House has also floated the idea, but Ukrainian officials have objected that it could leave them out of discussions about their country’s future. Zelenskyy said any negotiated end to the war would require approval from Ukraine’s Parliament.

Envoy carries Kyiv discussions

Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Witkoff had positive talks with Zelenskyy in Oslo on Tuesday before traveling to Russia. Rubio said the envoy would share ideas from those discussions with Russian officials in an effort to make progress.

Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre said Witkoff planned to return to Oslo after the Russia visit for further consultations with European officials. Støre told NRK that he thought Russia might now be seeking diplomatic opportunities.

Strains amid continued attacks

The diplomatic effort follows weeks of tension between Kyiv and Washington. Trump criticized Zelenskyy over Ukraine’s response to Russian attacks on energy and civilian infrastructure, including Ukrainian strikes on Russian oil infrastructure.