'Great progress was made!'— Putin, Witkoff conclude meeting in Moscow as Trump's sanctions deadline looms
Editor's note: This is a developing story and is being updated.
Russian President Vladimir Putin met with U.S. President Donald Trump's special envoy, Steve Witkoff, in Moscow on Aug. 6 for high-level talks as Trump's deadline for a Ukraine deal draws near.
The meeting concluded after roughly three hours, state news agency TASS reported with reference to the Kremlin, without providing details on the discussion.
The Russian leadership requested the meeting with Witkoff as it hoped to avoid new sanctions that Trump threatened to impose by Aug. 8 unless Moscow agreed to end the hostilities, undisclosed sources told CNN.
Witkoff's plane landed at the Vnukovo Airport in Moscow earlier in the day, marking his fifth official visit to Russia during the full-scale war. After his talks with Putin, Witkoff left the Kremlin for the U.S. Embassy in Moscow, RBK-Ukraine reported.
Before his audience with the Russian leader, the envoy met with Kirill Dmitriev, head of Russia's sovereign wealth fund, who was previously tasked with facilitating dialogue with the Trump administration, Russian pro-government media outlet RBC reported.
"Dialogue will prevail," Dmitriev commented on the meeting between Witkoff and Putin, according to Russian media.
Putin's aide Yuri Ushakov described the conversation as "useful and constructive," saying it focused on the Russia-Ukraine war and prospects of a possible "strategic cooperation between the U.S. and Russia."
"Regarding the Ukraine issue, some signals have been sent out from our side. Corresponding signals were also received from President Trump," Ushakov told journalists, adding that the U.S. president is yet to be informed about the results of the meeting.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Aug. 6 that he hopes to make announcements later in the day on whether new sanctions against Russia will proceed this week.
Rubio told reporters he had spoken with Witkoff, and plans further discussions. "Maybe positive, maybe not," Rubio said, acccording to Reuters.
Trump described the meeting between Witkoff and Putin as "highly productive."
"Great progress was made! Afterwards, I updated some of our European Allies. Everyone agrees this war must come to a close, and we will work towards that in the days and weeks to come," the U.S. president wrote on Truth Social on Aug. 6.
Trump has warned that unless a deal is reached, the U.S. will impose secondary tariffs on Russia, targeting countries buying the country's oil, such as India or China.
Trump’s special envoy Witkoff has arrived in Moscow for talks with Russian officials, according to Russian media. He was met by Kirill Dmitriev, one of Russia’s key negotiators with the US. Meanwhile, the White House says Trump will make a statement closer to midnight. pic.twitter.com/T6hrRbrvfh
— NOELREPORTS 🇪🇺 🇺🇦 (@NOELreports) August 6, 2025
The Trump administration is also considering new sanctions on Russia's so-called "shadow fleet" of oil tankers should Putin fail to agree to a ceasefire, people familiar with White House discussions told the Financial Times.
Putin has repeatedly rejected a ceasefire and continued to push maximalist demands, including seizing the entirety of the partially-occupied Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson oblasts.
Speaking ahead of Witkoff's arrival in Moscow, Trump said he would wait for the negotiations to conclude before deciding on the sanctions. The U.S. president has increasingly voiced frustration with Russia as it continues to reject a peace deal and intensifies strikes against Ukraine.
"We have a meeting with Russia tomorrow. We're going to see what happens," Trump said at the White House.
Witkoff, a former real estate broker with no prior diplomatic experience, has faced criticism for taking positions seen as favorable to Russia.
