US President Donald Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff arrived in St. Petersburg, where he is scheduled to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin. At Pulkovo Airport, he was met by the Russian President's special representative Kirill Dmitriev, after which their motorcade left the airport. TASS and RIA Novosti reported on the arrival.
Jared Kushner is also expected to participate in the talk, who will join via video conference. According to Axios, Witkoff will present Putin with an updated plan to end the Russian-Ukrainian war. The US envoy will present proposals developed after talks with Ukraine and European partners.
After the Oslo meeting
The visit to St. Petersburg comes a day after the US envoys met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Oslo. Representatives of European countries also participated in the talks. The aim is to form a common framework for future negotiations before the proposals are discussed directly with the Kremlin.
Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre said that Witkoff would discuss with Putin “proposals prepared by European and American representatives“, adding that the talks could prepare a meeting at the leadership level.
According to Politico, one possibility is that Witkoff could propose direct talks between Putin, Trump and Zelensky. The Ukrainian president also identified the move to a potential trilateral meeting as one of the important ideas discussed in Oslo. Donald Trump said that Putin and Zelensky do not necessarily have to be in the same room to reach an agreement.
Why the meeting is important
The conversation between Witkoff and Putin is important because it directly tests whether the Russian leadership is ready to consider proposals prepared with the participation of Ukraine and European countries. So far, it has not been confirmed that Moscow has accepted the framework or that an agreement to cease hostilities has been reached.
The meeting could also show whether there is a real possibility of talks at the highest level. Ukraine is insisting on a format involving Zelensky, Putin and Trump, while holding such a meeting itself remains only a possibility. If Putin rejects the proposal, the diplomatic process could remain at the level of talks between envoys. If he accepts it as a basis, the next step would be to agree on an agenda, terms and format for a meeting between the leaders.
Sources: meduza.io, axios.com, politico.eu