U.S. President Donald Trump’s special envoy, Steve Witkoff, met with Russian President Vladimir Putin in St. Petersburg on Friday, April 11, to push for peace in the Ukraine war. The meeting took place at the presidential library and was shown on Russian TV.
Witkoff arrived with Kirill Dmitriev, a top Russian official. This was the third meeting between Witkoff and Putin’s team this year, showing that the U.S. and Russia are talking more often through this new diplomatic channel.
Talks about a full ceasefire in Ukraine are not moving forward. Russia and the U.S. disagree on what conditions must be met to stop the war. President Trump has urged Russia to speed up the process, warning that countries buying Russian oil could face new U.S. sanctions if peace talks stall.
Trump said, “Russia has to get moving. Too many people are dying every week in this war, which never should have started.”
Putin says he’s open to a ceasefire, but only if key Russian demands are met. These include:
- No NATO membership for Ukraine
- Ukraine must reduce the size of its military
- Russia must keep control of four disputed regions in Ukraine
Russia currently controls less than 20% of Ukraine but continues to fight, saying it has the upper hand in negotiations. Ukraine has rejected Russia’s demands, saying they would be the same as giving up.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said a possible in-person meeting between Trump and Putin was discussed, but nothing has been confirmed. So far, they’ve only talked by phone since Trump returned to office in January.
Peskov downplayed the meeting, saying it wasn’t expected to bring big results. He said it gave Russia a chance to share concerns, especially about recent attacks on energy facilities.
Witkoff’s visit comes as the U.S. also deals with rising tensions with Iran and China. Trump is warning Iran about possible military action if no new nuclear deal is made. Witkoff will visit Oman on Saturday to talk with Iranian officials, while Russia has offered to help mediate those talks.
Meanwhile, U.S. and Russian officials say they’re making progress in fixing diplomatic ties, including reopening embassy services after recent meetings in Istanbul.
