US Special Presidential Envoy Steve Witkoff has officially arrived in Russia, confirmed Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov, as reported by TASS. “Yes, I confirm that he has really arrived,” Peskov told reporters.
The Kremlin will announce any developments regarding a potential meeting between Witkoff and Russian President Vladimir Putin in due time. Axios news website previously reported that Witkoff planned this visit to discuss crucial matters with Putin. Notably, the two met in Moscow on 13 March.
Important Meeting in St. Petersburg
In a related development, envoy Kirill Dmitriev met with Witkoff in St. Petersburg on Friday, as Russian state media TASS confirmed. Moreover, Axios sources suggest Witkoff may meet President Putin later the same day. Putin is currently in St. Petersburg for a scheduled meeting focused on the development of the Russian Navy.
Dmitriev, who leads Russia’s sovereign wealth fund, serves as Putin’s special envoy for economic affairs. His role includes enhancing Moscow’s relationships with international leaders while interacting with the Trump administration.
Stalled Peace Efforts
These discussions gain significance amid stagnation in peace talks. Trump’s efforts for a ceasefire remain deadlocked. Russia has dismissed the proposed full 30-day truce agreed upon by Washington and Kyiv in March. Additionally, there have been continuous breaches of the partial energy ceasefire.
Initially, Trump refrained from criticizing Putin, though he recently adopted a more confrontational tone, expressing frustration over Moscow’s ongoing aggression towards Ukraine. He notably stated that he felt “pissed off” and “very angry” about Putin’s hostility towards Ukrainian President Zelensky.
Despite Trump’s warnings of impending sanctions, the US has yet to impose additional punitive measures on Moscow. Today’s meeting occurs after the second round of diplomatic talks in Istanbul, which focused on embassy operations. Notably, the ongoing war in Ukraine did not feature in these discussions.
