Trump's emissary saw Putin at St. Petersburg for discussions about Ukraine / US President: “Russia to move”
Vladimir Putin shake hands with US President Donald Trump, Steve Witkoff, during a meeting at St. Petersburg on April 11, 2025. Credit Line: Gavriil Grigorov / AFP / Profimedia
The special emissary of US President Donald Trump, Steve Witkoff, held discussions with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Saint Petersburg, on reaching a peace agreement in Ukraine, according to Russian state -of -state agencies, quoted by News.ro.
The discussions between Steve Witkoff and Vladimir Putin lasted more than four hours, and the moment when the Kremlin leader welcomes Trump's emissary in the Presidential Library in St. Petersburg was broadcast by the Russian State Television.
According to the Kremlin, who sent a statement after the discussions, the two discussed aspects of a conflict resolution in Ukraine.
Prior to meeting Putin, Steve Witkoff had a meeting with Kirill Dmitriev, Putin's emissary for investments, Izvestia said. The State Agency Tass reported, in turn, that Dmitriev said on Friday's discussions were productive.
Sankt Petersburg discussions on Friday take place at a time when the US dialogue on an armistice seems to be blocked due to misunderstandings related to the conditions of a total cessation of hostilities.
“Russia has to move”
Donald Trump, who gave signs that he was losing his patience, spoke about the possibility of imposing secondary sanctions to countries who buy Russian oil, if he believed that Moscow delays in an agreement for Ukraine.
On Friday, Trump wrote on Social Truth: “Russia has to move. Too many people die, thousands a week, in a terrible and meaningless war-a war that should have never taken place and would not have taken place if I had been president!”
Putin said he was, in principle, prepared to accept a total armistice, but stressed that the essential details of implementation remain unresolved and that the “deep causes of the war” have not yet been addressed.
He asked Ukraine not to adhere to NATO, limiting the dimension of the Ukrainian army and for Russia to receive the entire territory of the four Ukrainian regions, although it does not fully control them.
With Moscow, controlling slightly below 20% of the territory of Ukraine and Russian forces continuing to advance on the front, the Kremlin believes that Russia is in a strong position in terms of negotiations and that Ukraine should make concessions. Kiev states that Russia's terms would be equivalent to a capitulation.
