Special envoy for U.S. President Donald Trump, Steve Witkoff, held a meeting in St. Petersburg with Vladimir Putin, where he announced that there are prerequisites for a ceasefire in Ukraine and handed over documents outlining approaches to a peaceful resolution of the conflict to the Russian side. According to Russian media, the American envoy's plane landed in the morning at Pulkovo airport, where he was met by Putin's representative, Kirill Dmitriev. The negotiations took place at the Constantine Palace, and as presidential aide Yuri Ushakov reported, the war against Ukraine was the main topic. As of the publication of this article, the American side has not officially commented on Witkoff's visit.
Documents and approaches to resolution
At the meeting, Witkoff stated that he had brought "some documents outlining certain approaches to a peaceful resolution of the conflict in Ukraine" and requested that Putin review them. According to him, at this stage, there are prerequisites for achieving a ceasefire. Furthermore, the American envoy, on behalf of President Trump, thanked the Russian leader for his decision regarding the so-called "diesel deal." Putin, in turn, reported that in their last phone conversation, Trump emphasized the need to end the conflict in Ukraine to prevent human casualties.
Trilateral negotiations and Kushner's role
Witkoff suggested that Putin consider the possibility of resuming trilateral negotiations involving the USA, Ukraine, and Russia, specifically at the level of technical groups. "Even if a decision on this matter is not made today, it would be good to discuss it," he emphasized. The American envoy also stated his intention to connect Jared Kushner via phone later. Kushner himself did not travel to Russia due to health reasons; however, according to Russian sources, he will likely join the conversation in an online format.
Context: the preceding negotiations in Oslo
Witkoff's visit to St. Petersburg was a continuation of the diplomatic activity that began the day before in Oslo, where Volodymyr Zelenskyy met with Trump's administration negotiators. Finnish President Alexander Stubb, who participated in the Oslo discussion, stated that the parties found elements of a peaceful resolution that would be presented in St. Petersburg. Witkoff, by his own account, was to inform Putin of the results of the Oslo meeting. Russian media characterize the Oslo negotiations as productive and note "progress forward."
The Kremlin's position and next steps
Earlier, presidential press secretary Dmitry Peskov stated that Moscow hoped to meet with Witkoff in the near future, who would be able to report on the progress of conversations with the Ukrainian and European sides. Thus, the St. Petersburg meeting became the realization of this intention. No specific decisions on resuming the trilateral format were publicly announced at the conclusion of the talks; however, the very fact of transferring documents and discussing technical groups indicates that the diplomatic track regarding the Ukrainian resolution remains active.
