US-Russia Talks: Steve Witkoff meets Putin to discuss Ukraine war

US peace negotiator Steve Witkoff sat down with President Vladimir Putin to discuss the Russia-Ukraine war in St. Petersburg. This meeting, however, was a bid to bring the war to an end. The Kremlin stated that the meeting took about four hours. Even after extended debates, peace efforts did not come through. Russia claims that they will end the war but with certain conditions. Not admitting Ukraine into NATO, maintaining the military low, and gaining full possession of 4 Ukrainian areas is among them. Possession comes in here.

Who is Witkoff? 

Witkoff is among the most important persons attempting to make Moscow and Washington closer. Steve Witkoff is an American real estate investor. He is also regarded as a close friend of President Donald Trump. He was named as the US Special Envoy for the Middle East in November 2024. He has taken part in several diplomatic talks on sensitive subjects including the Russia-Ukraine conflict and the Israel-Hamas conflict. He has been spotted on numerous occasions with Dimitrov, President Putin's investment representative.

In fact, Trump would like to convince Russian President Putin to accept a truce with the assistance of Witkof. In this context, Witkoff's familiarity with Kirill Dmitriev can prove useful. Meanwhile, as reported by the Tass state news agency, Dmitriev called the meeting "productive."

What did Trump say about Russia's Ukraine war?

For the Russia-Ukraine war ceasefire, Trump stated that now Russia needs to step forward. Many people are losing their lives in this war. Trump even stated that this war should never have begun. He also stated that if he was president then, this war would never have begun. At the same time, Trump threatened to impose secondary sanctions on countries that buy oil from Russia, indicating that Trump's patience is slowly running out.