US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff has called on Russian President Vladimir Putin to reinitiate trilateral peace discussions with the United States and Ukraine, as part of Washington’s ongoing efforts to resolve the conflict in Ukraine. The appeal was made during a meeting in St. Petersburg, where Witkoff presented new proposals aimed at reaching a negotiated settlement.
This meeting represented Witkoff’s ninth face-to-face encounter with Putin, signaling a persistent diplomatic push from the United States. Witkoff’s recent discussions in Oslo with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, alongside leaders from Finland, Norway, and representatives from Europe and NATO, were aimed at creating a unified strategy for negotiations with Russia. The talks explored important issues such as security guarantees for Ukraine, postwar economic recovery, and the future of European security frameworks.
Putin, while showing openness to collaborating with US President Donald Trump on various international matters, such as Iran’s nuclear program, also mentioned the possibility of a future meeting with Trump in China, potentially including Chinese President Xi Jinping. However, the Kremlin has indicated that any direct meeting between Putin and Zelenskyy would require thorough preparation to ensure productive outcomes.
President Zelenskyy has expressed a desire for a trilateral meeting involving Trump and Putin to address key challenges to ending the war. Despite these diplomatic initiatives, significant hurdles remain in reaching a consensus that satisfies all parties involved.
These latest efforts underscore the renewed push by Washington to bring the conflicting parties back to the negotiating table, although the path to a comprehensive peace agreement remains fraught with complexities. The ongoing dialogue reflects a concerted attempt to address the underlying issues and work toward a peaceful resolution to the conflict in Ukraine.