Trump Envoy Meets Putin in Moscow Ahead of Sanctions Deadline; "Progress Made," Says Trump
Moscow — U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff arrived in Moscow on Wednesday for high-stakes talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin, just two days before President Donald Trump’s deadline for the Kremlin to halt its war in Ukraine or face a new wave of sanctions.
Witkoff was welcomed upon arrival by Kremlin special representative Kirill Dmitriev, with Russian state media publishing images and videos of the two walking through Moscow’s Zaryadye Park, accompanied by aides and security personnel.
The nearly three-hour meeting between Putin and Witkoff was described as “useful” and “constructive” by Yuri Ushakov, Putin’s foreign policy adviser and former ambassador to the United States. “We conveyed certain signals regarding the issue of Ukraine, and corresponding signals were received from President Trump as well,” Ushakov told reporters following the discussion.
The Kremlin also released a video showing Putin and Witkoff shaking hands before the meeting.
Shortly after the talks, Trump posted on Truth Social, stating that “great progress was made.” However, a senior U.S. official speaking moments later maintained that “secondary sanctions” are still expected to be implemented on Friday, targeting Russia and its trading partners — including China and India, currently top buyers of Russian oil.
The visit marks Witkoff’s latest trip to Russia since Trump took office in January. Though officially serving as Special Envoy to the Middle East, Witkoff has engaged multiple times with Russian leadership on Ukraine-related diplomacy. His previous visit in April focused on exploring the possibility of restarting direct peace negotiations between Russia and Ukraine.
Following the Moscow meeting, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky confirmed that he spoke with Trump by phone. “European leaders were on the call, and I am grateful to each of them for their support,” Zelensky posted on social media, though he did not specify which leaders joined the conversation.
President Trump has given Moscow until Friday to cease its military operations in Ukraine or face sweeping new measures, including what he called “secondary tariffs” on Russian trade partners. In a CBS interview aired Tuesday, Trump stated:
“Putin will stop killing people if you get energy down another $10 a barrel. He’s going to have no choice, because his economy stinks.”
Asked earlier what message Witkoff would deliver to the Kremlin, Trump told reporters:
“Yeah, get a deal where people stop getting killed.”
Still, Trump has acknowledged the challenge of pressuring Moscow through sanctions alone. Speaking over the weekend, he remarked:
“They’re wily characters. Russia’s pretty good at avoiding sanctions.”
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