Vladimir Putin and US President Donald Trump’s envoy Steve Witkoff during a meeting in St. Petersburg, 11 April 2025. Photo: Gavriil Grigorov / AFP
Donald Trump’s envoy, Steve Witkoff, held more than four hours of talks with Vladimir Putin in St. Petersburg on a potential peaceful resolution to the war in Ukraine. The meeting took place in the presidential library and was broadcast on Russian state television. According to the Kremlin, the main focus was on possible conditions for a cessation of hostilities, the Washington Post reported.
Before meeting with Putin, Vitkoff also held talks with Kirill Dmitriev, who represents Russia in investment matters. According to the TASS news agency, the parties described the talks as productive. Although no agreement was officially reported, the visit signaled a possible change in tone in US-Russian contacts, given Trump’s growing activity in the run-up to the election.
In a post on Truth Social, former US President Donald Trump called on Russia to act immediately, stressing that “too many people are dying in a war that shouldn’t be happening”. Trump also threatened secondary sanctions against countries that buy Russian oil if Moscow continues to delay.
In turn, Vladimir Putin declared his readiness for a ceasefire in principle, but put forward a number of demands. Among them are Ukraine’s refusal to join NATO, the limitation of its armed forces, and Russia’s recognition of control over the four regions it partially occupies. The Kremlin believes that it is currently in a strong position for negotiations, given its advance on the frontline and control over part of Ukraine’s territory.
Kyiv has sharply rejected Russia’s conditions, saying that they are not a peace initiative, but in fact an ultimatum and a demand for surrender. The Ukrainian authorities continue to insist on the full restoration of territorial integrity and the withdrawal of Russian troops as the basis for any negotiations.
