Trump envoy meets Putin in Russia, urges trilateral negotiations
on Google
U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff met Russian President Vladimir Putin in St. Petersburg on Oct. 21 for a new round of talks on ending Russia's war against Ukraine, following discussions with President Volodymyr Zelensky and European allies in Norway a day earlier.
The meeting comes amid sharply deteriorating relations between Kyiv and Washington, as Ukraine fears the U.S. is using military assistance and access to technology to pressure it to halt strikes on Russian oil refineries.
At the start of the meeting, Witkoff urged Putin to consider resuming trilateral talks involving Ukraine, Russia, and the U.S.
"I hope you will consider the possibility of resuming trilateral talks between Ukraine, Russia, and the United States," Witkoff told Putin.
Putin thanked U.S. President Donald Trump for his attention to resolving the war and asked Witkoff about the results of the talks in Norway.
Witkoff met Zelensky and European allies in Oslo on Oct. 20 to discuss their peace proposals ahead of his visit to Russia. Zelensky said at a news conference with Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store that he hoped Witkoff would convey the proposals from Ukraine and Europe to Moscow and help arrange a meeting between the leaders of Ukraine, Russia, and the U.S.
But Trump already brought that idea into question after reporters in Washington asked him about the prospect of a trilateral meeting.
"They don't have to be in the same room. I guess I can do it another way. It's hard for them to be in the same room. I don't care how it's done," Trump said.
And Russian leader Vladimir Putin has long evaded a meeting with Zelensky. Instead, the Kremlin chief reportedly pushes to meet Trump in China next month to secure a favorable peace deal, without Ukraine at the table.
The Kremlin has repeatedly rejected a ceasefire and demanded that Kyiv surrender the partially occupied Donbas, a strategically important region in eastern Ukraine. Moscow is seeking territory that Russian forces have failed to capture militarily.
Ukraine, by contrast, has called for a ceasefire along the current front line.
