Saturday, April 12, 2025 - U.S. President Donald Trump’s special envoy, Steve Witkoff, met with Russian President Vladimir Putin in St. Petersburg on Friday, April 11 as part of renewed efforts to broker peace in the ongoing war in Ukraine. The high-profile meeting took place in the city’s presidential library and was broadcast on Russian state television.
Video footage released earlier by Izvestia showed Witkoff
arriving at the venue alongside Kirill Dmitriev, Putin's investment envoy. This
meeting marks the third time the two officials have met in 2025, signaling the
growing importance of Witkoff in the evolving U.S.-Russia diplomatic channel.
The latest discussions come as negotiations on a full
ceasefire in Ukraine remain stalled. Moscow and Washington appear to be at odds
over the conditions for halting hostilities. Despite this, Trump has publicly
pushed for faster progress, warning of possible secondary sanctions against
countries purchasing Russian oil if Moscow delays peace efforts.
“Russia has to get moving. Too many people (are) DYING,
thousands a week, in a terrible and senseless war — a war that should have
never happened, and wouldn’t have happened if I were President!”
While Putin has expressed willingness to consider a
ceasefire, he insists that core issues—such as Ukraine's NATO aspirations and
the status of disputed regions—must be addressed first. Russia is demanding: A
ban on Ukraine joining NATO, A reduction in the size of Ukraine’s military,
Recognition of Russian control over four contested Ukrainian regions.
Despite controlling less than 20% of Ukraine’s territory,
Russia continues to advance on the battlefield and sees itself as negotiating
from a position of strength. Kyiv, however, has rejected Moscow's terms,
calling them tantamount to surrender.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov confirmed that a potential
face-to-face meeting between Trump and Putin was discussed. While the two
leaders have spoken by phone since Trump’s return to the White House in
January, they have not yet met in person.
Peskov tempered expectations, stating that the Witkoff-Putin
meeting was “not momentous” and no major breakthroughs were anticipated. He
said the visit was a platform for Moscow to voice its concerns — particularly
about alleged mutual strikes on energy infrastructure.
Witkoff's trip comes amid rising tensions between the U.S.
and two of Russia's key allies — Iran and China. The U.S. is confronting Iran
over its nuclear program and is locked in an escalating trade dispute with
Beijing. These broader tensions are casting a shadow over U.S.-Russia
diplomacy.
Witkoff is scheduled to visit Oman on Saturday for talks with
Iranian officials. President Trump has threatened military action against
Tehran if a new nuclear deal is not reached. Russia has offered to mediate in
those negotiations.
Meanwhile, officials from both the U.S. and Russia noted
progress in restoring diplomatic ties during talks in Istanbul on Thursday,
including steps to normalize embassy operations.
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