Putin meets Witkoff ahead of Trump's Ukraine deadline

The Advertiser

06-08-2025

US special envoy Steve Witkoff is holding talks with President Vladimir Putin in Moscow, days before the White House's deadline for Russia to reach a peace deal with Ukraine or potentially face severe economic penalties.
Witkoff was earlier seen taking a morning stroll through Zaryadye Park, a stone's throw from the Kremlin, with Kirill Dmitriev, the Russian president's envoy for investment and economic co-operation.
Dmitriev has played a key role in direct peace talks between Russia and Ukraine in Istanbul in recent months, as well as discussions between Russian and US officials.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov welcomed Witkoff's visit on Wednesday.
"We consider (talks with Witkoff) important, substantive and very useful," he said.
Donald Trump's deadline for Putin ends on Friday. The US president, increasingly frustrated with Putin over the lack of progress towards a peace deal in Ukraine, has threatened to impose heavy tariffs on countries that buy Russian exports.
He is exerting particular pressure on India, which along with China is a huge buyer of Russian oil. The Kremlin says threats to penalise countries that trade with Russia are illegal.
Putin is unlikely to bow to Trump's sanctions ultimatum because he believes he is winning the war and his military goals take precedence over his desire to improve relations with the US, three sources close to the Kremlin told Reuters.
"The visit of Witkoff is a last-ditch effort to find a face-saving solution for both sides. I don't think, however, that there will be anything of a compromise between the two," said Gerhard Mangott, an Austrian analyst and member of a group of Western academics who have met regularly with Putin over the years.
"Russia will insist it is prepared to have a ceasefire, but (only) under the conditions that it has formulated for the last two or three years already," he said.
"Trump will be under pressure to do what he has announced - to raise tariffs for all the countries buying oil and gas, and uranium probably as well, from Russia."
The Russian sources told Reuters that Putin is sceptical that yet more US sanctions will have much of an impact after successive waves of economic penalties during three-and-a-half years of war.
The Russian leader does not want to anger Trump, and he realises that he may be spurning a chance to improve relations with Washington and the West, but his war goals are more important to him, the sources said.
Witkoff, a real estate billionaire, has had several long meetings with Putin. He had no diplomatic experience before joining Trump's team in January, but has been simultaneously tasked with seeking ceasefires in the Ukraine and Gaza wars, as well as negotiating in the crisis over Iran's nuclear programme.
Critics have portrayed him as out of his depth when pitched into a head-to-head negotiation with Putin, Russia's leader for the past 25 years.
Critics have at times accused Witkoff of echoing the Kremlin's narrative. In an interview with journalist Tucker Carlson in March, for example, Witkoff said there was no reason why Russia would want to absorb Ukraine or bite off more of its territory, and it was "preposterous" to think that Putin would want to send his army marching across Europe.
Ukraine and many of its European allies say the opposite. Putin denies any designs on NATO territory, and Moscow has repeatedly cast such charges as evidence of European hostility and "Russophobia".
with PA
US special envoy Steve Witkoff is holding talks with President Vladimir Putin in Moscow, days before the White House's deadline for Russia to reach a peace deal with Ukraine or potentially face severe economic penalties.
Witkoff was earlier seen taking a morning stroll through Zaryadye Park, a stone's throw from the Kremlin, with Kirill Dmitriev, the Russian president's envoy for investment and economic co-operation.
Dmitriev has played a key role in direct peace talks between Russia and Ukraine in Istanbul in recent months, as well as discussions between Russian and US officials.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov welcomed Witkoff's visit on Wednesday.
"We consider (talks with Witkoff) important, substantive and very useful," he said.
Donald Trump's deadline for Putin ends on Friday. The US president, increasingly frustrated with Putin over the lack of progress towards a peace deal in Ukraine, has threatened to impose heavy tariffs on countries that buy Russian exports.
He is exerting particular pressure on India, which along with China is a huge buyer of Russian oil. The Kremlin says threats to penalise countries that trade with Russia are illegal.
Putin is unlikely to bow to Trump's sanctions ultimatum because he believes he is winning the war and his military goals take precedence over his desire to improve relations with the US, three sources close to the Kremlin told Reuters.
"The visit of Witkoff is a last-ditch effort to find a face-saving solution for both sides. I don't think, however, that there will be anything of a compromise between the two," said Gerhard Mangott, an Austrian analyst and member of a group of Western academics who have met regularly with Putin over the years.
"Russia will insist it is prepared to have a ceasefire, but (only) under the conditions that it has formulated for the last two or three years already," he said.
"Trump will be under pressure to do what he has announced - to raise tariffs for all the countries buying oil and gas, and uranium probably as well, from Russia."
The Russian sources told Reuters that Putin is sceptical that yet more US sanctions will have much of an impact after successive waves of economic penalties during three-and-a-half years of war.
The Russian leader does not want to anger Trump, and he realises that he may be spurning a chance to improve relations with Washington and the West, but his war goals are more important to him, the sources said.
Witkoff, a real estate billionaire, has had several long meetings with Putin. He had no diplomatic experience before joining Trump's team in January, but has been simultaneously tasked with seeking ceasefires in the Ukraine and Gaza wars, as well as negotiating in the crisis over Iran's nuclear programme.
Critics have portrayed him as out of his depth when pitched into a head-to-head negotiation with Putin, Russia's leader for the past 25 years.
Critics have at times accused Witkoff of echoing the Kremlin's narrative. In an interview with journalist Tucker Carlson in March, for example, Witkoff said there was no reason why Russia would want to absorb Ukraine or bite off more of its territory, and it was "preposterous" to think that Putin would want to send his army marching across Europe.
Ukraine and many of its European allies say the opposite. Putin denies any designs on NATO territory, and Moscow has repeatedly cast such charges as evidence of European hostility and "Russophobia".
with PA
US special envoy Steve Witkoff is holding talks with President Vladimir Putin in Moscow, days before the White House's deadline for Russia to reach a peace deal with Ukraine or potentially face severe economic penalties.
Witkoff was earlier seen taking a morning stroll through Zaryadye Park, a stone's throw from the Kremlin, with Kirill Dmitriev, the Russian president's envoy for investment and economic co-operation.
Dmitriev has played a key role in direct peace talks between Russia and Ukraine in Istanbul in recent months, as well as discussions between Russian and US officials.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov welcomed Witkoff's visit on Wednesday.
"We consider (talks with Witkoff) important, substantive and very useful," he said.
Donald Trump's deadline for Putin ends on Friday. The US president, increasingly frustrated with Putin over the lack of progress towards a peace deal in Ukraine, has threatened to impose heavy tariffs on countries that buy Russian exports.
He is exerting particular pressure on India, which along with China is a huge buyer of Russian oil. The Kremlin says threats to penalise countries that trade with Russia are illegal.
Putin is unlikely to bow to Trump's sanctions ultimatum because he believes he is winning the war and his military goals take precedence over his desire to improve relations with the US, three sources close to the Kremlin told Reuters.
"The visit of Witkoff is a last-ditch effort to find a face-saving solution for both sides. I don't think, however, that there will be anything of a compromise between the two," said Gerhard Mangott, an Austrian analyst and member of a group of Western academics who have met regularly with Putin over the years.
"Russia will insist it is prepared to have a ceasefire, but (only) under the conditions that it has formulated for the last two or three years already," he said.
"Trump will be under pressure to do what he has announced - to raise tariffs for all the countries buying oil and gas, and uranium probably as well, from Russia."
The Russian sources told Reuters that Putin is sceptical that yet more US sanctions will have much of an impact after successive waves of economic penalties during three-and-a-half years of war.
The Russian leader does not want to anger Trump, and he realises that he may be spurning a chance to improve relations with Washington and the West, but his war goals are more important to him, the sources said.
Witkoff, a real estate billionaire, has had several long meetings with Putin. He had no diplomatic experience before joining Trump's team in January, but has been simultaneously tasked with seeking ceasefires in the Ukraine and Gaza wars, as well as negotiating in the crisis over Iran's nuclear programme.
Critics have portrayed him as out of his depth when pitched into a head-to-head negotiation with Putin, Russia's leader for the past 25 years.
Critics have at times accused Witkoff of echoing the Kremlin's narrative. In an interview with journalist Tucker Carlson in March, for example, Witkoff said there was no reason why Russia would want to absorb Ukraine or bite off more of its territory, and it was "preposterous" to think that Putin would want to send his army marching across Europe.
Ukraine and many of its European allies say the opposite. Putin denies any designs on NATO territory, and Moscow has repeatedly cast such charges as evidence of European hostility and "Russophobia".
with PA
US special envoy Steve Witkoff is holding talks with President Vladimir Putin in Moscow, days before the White House's deadline for Russia to reach a peace deal with Ukraine or potentially face severe economic penalties.
Witkoff was earlier seen taking a morning stroll through Zaryadye Park, a stone's throw from the Kremlin, with Kirill Dmitriev, the Russian president's envoy for investment and economic co-operation.
Dmitriev has played a key role in direct peace talks between Russia and Ukraine in Istanbul in recent months, as well as discussions between Russian and US officials.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov welcomed Witkoff's visit on Wednesday.
"We consider (talks with Witkoff) important, substantive and very useful," he said.
Donald Trump's deadline for Putin ends on Friday. The US president, increasingly frustrated with Putin over the lack of progress towards a peace deal in Ukraine, has threatened to impose heavy tariffs on countries that buy Russian exports.
He is exerting particular pressure on India, which along with China is a huge buyer of Russian oil. The Kremlin says threats to penalise countries that trade with Russia are illegal.
Putin is unlikely to bow to Trump's sanctions ultimatum because he believes he is winning the war and his military goals take precedence over his desire to improve relations with the US, three sources close to the Kremlin told Reuters.
"The visit of Witkoff is a last-ditch effort to find a face-saving solution for both sides. I don't think, however, that there will be anything of a compromise between the two," said Gerhard Mangott, an Austrian analyst and member of a group of Western academics who have met regularly with Putin over the years.
"Russia will insist it is prepared to have a ceasefire, but (only) under the conditions that it has formulated for the last two or three years already," he said.
"Trump will be under pressure to do what he has announced - to raise tariffs for all the countries buying oil and gas, and uranium probably as well, from Russia."
The Russian sources told Reuters that Putin is sceptical that yet more US sanctions will have much of an impact after successive waves of economic penalties during three-and-a-half years of war.
The Russian leader does not want to anger Trump, and he realises that he may be spurning a chance to improve relations with Washington and the West, but his war goals are more important to him, the sources said.
Witkoff, a real estate billionaire, has had several long meetings with Putin. He had no diplomatic experience before joining Trump's team in January, but has been simultaneously tasked with seeking ceasefires in the Ukraine and Gaza wars, as well as negotiating in the crisis over Iran's nuclear programme.
Critics have portrayed him as out of his depth when pitched into a head-to-head negotiation with Putin, Russia's leader for the past 25 years.
Critics have at times accused Witkoff of echoing the Kremlin's narrative. In an interview with journalist Tucker Carlson in March, for example, Witkoff said there was no reason why Russia would want to absorb Ukraine or bite off more of its territory, and it was "preposterous" to think that Putin would want to send his army marching across Europe.
Ukraine and many of its European allies say the opposite. Putin denies any designs on NATO territory, and Moscow has repeatedly cast such charges as evidence of European hostility and "Russophobia".
with PA