Washington DC [US]: The White House has confirmed that US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff is currently in Russia to engage in direct negotiations with the Kremlin and President Vladimir Putin, as part of ongoing efforts to broker a ceasefire in the Ukraine conflict.
During a press briefing on Friday (local time), White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt described Witkoff’s visit as a significant step toward negotiating a truce and laying the groundwork for a future peace agreement.
“I can confirm that Steve Witkoff is in Russia to have direct communications with the Kremlin and Vladimir Putin. This is another step in the negotiating process towards a ceasefire and an ultimate peace deal. The President has been quite clear that he has been continually frustrated with both sides of this conflict,” Leavitt said.
She also indicated that President Donald Trump is looking to take a more assertive role in driving the peace process forward, citing his dissatisfaction with the current trajectory of the war.
Earlier, Russian state television aired footage of President Putin welcoming Witkoff at the presidential library in St. Petersburg, according to Al Jazeera. The report noted that the meeting lasted over four hours, although no further details were released about the discussions.
According to the Kremlin, the talks focused on “various aspects of the Ukrainian settlement.” Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov also suggested that there may be discussions about arranging a future face-to-face meeting between President Trump and President Putin.
In a separate development, President Trump issued a strong message to Russia, pressing for cooperation in ending the conflict. In a phone interview with NBC News, Trump criticized Putin’s recent rhetoric regarding Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and warned of potential economic consequences if cooperation is not achieved.
“I was very angry – pissed off – when Putin started getting into Zelensky’s credibility, because that’s not going in the right location, you understand?” Trump said.
“But new leadership means you’re not going to have a deal for a long time, right?” he added.
Trump further warned that failure to reach an agreement could trigger additional tariffs on Russian oil, as reported by CNN.