Trump Envoy Visits Putin Amid Calls for Ukraine Deal
Steve Witkoff arrives in St. Petersburg for talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin, following White House pressure on Kyiv to make concessions.
U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff arrived in St. Petersburg on Wednesday morning for a planned meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin, a Kremlin aide confirmed. The visit comes as the White House has intensified pressure on Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to negotiate a peace deal with Moscow.
Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov told reporters that Witkoff was scheduled to meet with Putin at St. Petersburg's Constantine Palace, according to Russian state media.
Witkoff's trip to Russia followed a meeting on Tuesday in Oslo with Zelenskyy, Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store, and Finnish President Alexander Stubb. Those talks focused on proposals for a ceasefire to end Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
Earlier this week, President Donald Trump stated his desire for Ukraine to reach an agreement with Russia. "We want Zelenskyy to make a deal," Trump told reporters in the Oval Office. He also commented on the extensive U.S. aid to Ukraine, saying, "We have given tremendous amounts to Ukraine. We've got nothing back other than high diesel." Trump suggested that the U.S. had provided hundreds of billions of dollars over the years and that American taxpayers were growing weary.
In recent weeks, Trump has waived several sanctions on Moscow and has attributed the lack of progress in peace talks to Kyiv, even suggesting Zelenskyy should be replaced. Trump stated on Tuesday that he had spoken with Putin at length about freeing Stephen Hubbard, a 72-year-old retired teacher officially designated as wrongfully detained by the State Department and the only American held in Russia with that designation. "I'd love to get him back," Trump said, adding, "Let's see what happens."
Witkoff's arrival in St. Petersburg coincides with ongoing negotiations for the potential release of multiple Americans detained in Russia, according to U.S. officials and sources familiar with the matter. These discussions reportedly involve Hubbard and other U.S. citizens held in Russia on charges the administration considers questionable.