Russian President Vladimir Putin is planning to meet with Steve Witkoff, the special envoy of US President Donald Trump, according to Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov. Witkoff arrived in St. Petersburg on Friday. In a press conference in the city, Peskov said the duration of the talks would be flexible and could “last an hour, two, three or four hours; as long as President Putin desires.” Peskov warned against expecting a breakthrough from the negotiations, but outlined the topics that could be discussed, including the normalization of bilateral relations, a possible personal meeting between the two presidents and the Ukraine conflict. For Moscow, it is an opportunity to discuss its concerns directly with a trusted representative of Trump. Witkoff is a close associate of Trump and has been appointed as his representative in efforts to resolve the conflict with Russia. This will be Witkoff’s third meeting with Putin since February, when he brokered a prisoner swap that both Washington and Moscow described as a confidence-building gesture. He also belonged to a high-level US delegation that met with Russian representatives in Saudi Arabia last month to discuss the Ukraine conflict.
Putin and Trump Envoy to Hold Historic Meeting in Russia
