Putin met with Trump envoy Steve Witkoff for nearly four and a half hours Friday in St. Petersburg. They discussed Ukrainian settlement issues during their third meeting, but first in Russia's northern capital. A Gulfstream jet linked to Witkoff landed at Pulkovo Airport that morning after flying from Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
Traffic restrictions affected several downtown streets, including parts of Nevsky Prospect during Witkoff's visit. Before seeing Putin, the American envoy met with Russian investment fund director Kirill Dmitriev. He also toured St. Isaac's Cathedral and the Great Choral Synagogue. The actual talks happened behind closed doors at the Presidential Library.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov described ongoing careful work to find ways to improve Moscow-Washington relations. He said Witkoff brought messages from Trump, and Putin listened, continuing their discussion about various aspects of the Ukrainian situation. The meeting offered Putin a chance to relay Russia's position back to Trump through his representative.
The White House views these talks as progress toward a ceasefire in Ukraine. Peskov warned against expecting breakthroughs but mentioned that the meeting might result in a possible future phone call between Putin and Trump. The extended discussion ended around ten in the evening, addressing what Peskov called many complex aspects of Ukrainian regulation.
Traffic restrictions affected several downtown streets, including parts of Nevsky Prospect during Witkoff's visit. Before seeing Putin, the American envoy met with Russian investment fund director Kirill Dmitriev. He also toured St. Isaac's Cathedral and the Great Choral Synagogue. The actual talks happened behind closed doors at the Presidential Library.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov described ongoing careful work to find ways to improve Moscow-Washington relations. He said Witkoff brought messages from Trump, and Putin listened, continuing their discussion about various aspects of the Ukrainian situation. The meeting offered Putin a chance to relay Russia's position back to Trump through his representative.
The White House views these talks as progress toward a ceasefire in Ukraine. Peskov warned against expecting breakthroughs but mentioned that the meeting might result in a possible future phone call between Putin and Trump. The extended discussion ended around ten in the evening, addressing what Peskov called many complex aspects of Ukrainian regulation.
