U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff met with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow for three hours as President Trump’s shortened ceasefire deadline with Ukraine approaches and new sanctions loom.
Witkoff was met at the Vnukovo International Airport by Putin’s envoy for investment and economic cooperation Kirill Dmitriev. After the huddle with Putin, which is Witkoff’s fifth since joining the administration, Dmitriev said on the social media platform X that “constructive” U.S.-Russia dialogue “continues and is critical for global security and peace.”
“Our side has forwarded some signals, in particular on the Ukrainian issue, and corresponding signals were received from President Trump,” Putin’s foreign policy aide Yury Ushakov added in a statement to Russian media after the meeting.
Trump’s timeline, which he cut down from 50 days, is set to expire Friday, with the president warning Russia could face additional tariffs and sanctions if it does not reach a ceasefire with Ukraine.
Witkoff’s previous meetings with the Kremlin leader have lasted multiple hours and helped chart a path for Americans who were jailed in Russia to be released, but they have not led to an ending to the nearly three-and-a-half-year war in Eastern Europe.
The president has expressed increased frustration with Putin in recent weeks as progress toward a peace deal has stalled. Trump has also warned other nations, including India, of increased tariffs for buying Russian goods. Both India and China are major buyers of Russian oil, which has helped keep the Kremlin’s economy above water.
After Witkoff’s meeting with Putin, Trump signed an executive order, raising tariffs on India by 25 percent over Russian oil purchases.
When asked about the tariff threat on Tuesday, Trump told reporters, “we’ll see what happens” after Witkoff’s meeting with Putin.
“We’re going to see what happens,” the president said. “We’ll make that determination at that time.”
Russian military attacks on Ukraine have continued despite Trump’s calls, with the military striking, at times, civilian areas.
The Russian military struck a recreational center in the Zaporizhzhia region overnight, according to Ukrainian officials. At least two people have been confirmed dead, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Wednesday morning on X, adding that Russia attacked a gas facility in Novosilske and a power grid in the Dnipro region.
“No matter what the Kremlin says, they will only genuinely seek to end the war once they feel adequate pressure,” wrote Zelensky, who spoke with Trump on the phone Tuesday. “And right now, it is very important to strengthen all the levers in the arsenal of the United States, Europe, and the G7 so that a ceasefire truly comes into effect immediately.”
Trump said last week that he moved two “nuclear” submarines closer to Russia’s coast in response to escalating rhetoric from former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev.
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