A new round of U.S.-Russia talks reportedly starting on Friday with an in-person discussion between President Vladimir Putin and an emissary from President Donald Trump.
America’s Middle East Envoy Steve Witkoff flew from Fort Lauderdale in Florida to Pulkovo Airport in St. Petersburg on Friday, Russian state media said. Witkoff is to have his third in-person meeting with Russia’s President Vladimir Putin later today, reports Axios.
President Putin’s spokesman Dmitry Peskov confirmed that Witkoff had landed in Russia on Friday morning. Witkoff has previously talked up the prospect of constructive talks with Russia, saying in March he believed a deal “everybody can live with” is possible.
Ukrainians Predict Russia Is Preparing for Spring Offensive Amid Ceasefire Talkshttps://t.co/qSOY8Pu9Sl
— Breitbart London (@BreitbartLondon) March 29, 2025
Last week, Witkoff hosted Putin advisor and Russian sovereign wealth fund manager Kirill Dmitriev for talks and met with Putin in Moscow twice before, once in February for the Marc Fogel prisoner swap, then again on March 13th. for U.S.-Russia talks.
Today’s Putin meeting also follows U.S.-Russia rapprochement talks in Istanbul yesterday. Ukraine was not said to be on the agenda at all.
The meeting at the Russian consulate lasted six hours and focussed on changes needed to allow both nations to operate full embassies in each others’ capitals, something that hasn’t happened since Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine and the Biden White House’s consequent relations freeze.
‘Manipulative’ Putin Doesn’t Really Want Peace, Stalling For Time Says Zelensky of Ceasefire Talks https://t.co/aSxY39BsAX
— Breitbart London (@BreitbartLondon) March 14, 2025
The U.S. State Department hailed the “constructive approach” of the talks. Russia’s negotiator, their newly appointed ambassador to Washington Alexander Darchiev said the meeting “took place in a positive atmosphere and allowed us to move forward in resolving this task set by the presidents of the two countries”.
Diplomatic happy talk aside, U.S. President Donald Trump has made abundantly clear he expects the killing in Ukraine, in which thousands are killed and maimed every week, to be stopped quickly. The fact talks are dragging on and a building perception of Russia dragging its heels on a ceasefire have reportedly angered the President and led him to threaten further sanctions on Moscow.
As reported, President Trump said he had become “very angry” and “pissed off”, and was threatening what he calls “secondary tariffs”, punishments on third countries that do business with the target, for instance by buying their oil or gas.
