Putin's Recent Discussions with Trump's Representative: An Overview of What We Know
White House special envoy Steve Witkoff engaged in a lengthy, closed-door discussion with President Vladimir Putin, lasting more than four hours, in St.
TroibNews 
The US president’s confidant spent over four hours behind closed doors with the Russian leader in St. Petersburg.
White House special envoy Steve Witkoff has left Russia in the same secrecy with which he arrived on Friday after holding discussions with President Vladimir Putin for more than four hours in St. Petersburg.
This lengthy dialogue, the third known meeting between Witkoff and Putin, took place in the Russian leader's hometown, yet both Moscow and Washington have provided minimal information about what was discussed. Here’s what we know so far.
Witkoff’s latest trip to Russia occurred without any prior public notice. Air traffic monitors indicated that a plane associated with the US envoy flew overnight from Florida to St. Petersburg. He was later seen with Russian presidential aide Kirill Dmitriev, exiting a downtown hotel prior to their discussions. Previous meetings between Witkoff and Putin had been held in Moscow.
The Kremlin confirmed that the four-hour discussion centered on “aspects of the settlement of the Ukraine conflict,” but did not offer additional specifics. Presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov had mentioned that topics could also include the normalization of US-Russia relations, a potential face-to-face meeting between Trump and Putin, and concerns Moscow wished to communicate directly to a trusted Trump representative.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt stated that Witkoff’s visit was part of Trump’s larger initiative to negotiate a ceasefire and an eventual peace deal in Ukraine. “This is another step in the negotiating process,” Leavitt said, though she chose not to elaborate further.
Witkoff’s visit came shortly after Russian presidential aide Kirill Dmitriev was in Washington for discussions with senior Trump officials. Dmitriev, who serves as an advisor to Putin on international economic cooperation, described the discussions with Witkoff as “productive” in a post on X, expressing a warm welcome to the US envoy in St. Petersburg.
In a recent meeting at the White House with President Donald Trump, Witkoff reportedly argued that acknowledging Russian ownership of Lugansk, Donetsk, Zaporozhye, and Kherson would provide the quickest way to stop the conflict, according to media reports. General Keith Kellogg, Trump’s envoy for Ukraine, reportedly countered this suggestion, emphasizing that Ukraine would not agree to full territorial concessions. Witkoff defended his stance in a recent interview with Tucker Carlson, citing referendums conducted in the contested regions. The White House meeting concluded without a definitive decision from Trump, who has consistently stated his goal of achieving a ceasefire as swiftly as possible.
Looking ahead, Peskov mentioned that another phone call between Putin and Trump is “theoretically possible” following Witkoff’s visit, depending on the negotiation outcomes. The two leaders last spoke on March 18 and have both publicly indicated their willingness to eventually meet in person when the timing is appropriate.
James del Carmen for TROIB News
White House special envoy Steve Witkoff has left Russia in the same secrecy with which he arrived on Friday after holding discussions with President Vladimir Putin for more than four hours in St. Petersburg.
This lengthy dialogue, the third known meeting between Witkoff and Putin, took place in the Russian leader's hometown, yet both Moscow and Washington have provided minimal information about what was discussed. Here’s what we know so far.
Witkoff’s latest trip to Russia occurred without any prior public notice. Air traffic monitors indicated that a plane associated with the US envoy flew overnight from Florida to St. Petersburg. He was later seen with Russian presidential aide Kirill Dmitriev, exiting a downtown hotel prior to their discussions. Previous meetings between Witkoff and Putin had been held in Moscow.
The Kremlin confirmed that the four-hour discussion centered on “aspects of the settlement of the Ukraine conflict,” but did not offer additional specifics. Presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov had mentioned that topics could also include the normalization of US-Russia relations, a potential face-to-face meeting between Trump and Putin, and concerns Moscow wished to communicate directly to a trusted Trump representative.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt stated that Witkoff’s visit was part of Trump’s larger initiative to negotiate a ceasefire and an eventual peace deal in Ukraine. “This is another step in the negotiating process,” Leavitt said, though she chose not to elaborate further.
Witkoff’s visit came shortly after Russian presidential aide Kirill Dmitriev was in Washington for discussions with senior Trump officials. Dmitriev, who serves as an advisor to Putin on international economic cooperation, described the discussions with Witkoff as “productive” in a post on X, expressing a warm welcome to the US envoy in St. Petersburg.
In a recent meeting at the White House with President Donald Trump, Witkoff reportedly argued that acknowledging Russian ownership of Lugansk, Donetsk, Zaporozhye, and Kherson would provide the quickest way to stop the conflict, according to media reports. General Keith Kellogg, Trump’s envoy for Ukraine, reportedly countered this suggestion, emphasizing that Ukraine would not agree to full territorial concessions. Witkoff defended his stance in a recent interview with Tucker Carlson, citing referendums conducted in the contested regions. The White House meeting concluded without a definitive decision from Trump, who has consistently stated his goal of achieving a ceasefire as swiftly as possible.
Looking ahead, Peskov mentioned that another phone call between Putin and Trump is “theoretically possible” following Witkoff’s visit, depending on the negotiation outcomes. The two leaders last spoke on March 18 and have both publicly indicated their willingness to eventually meet in person when the timing is appropriate.
James del Carmen for TROIB News
