Trump's special envoy Witkoff meets with Putin in St. Petersburg

The information about Steve Witkoff's arrival in Russia was confirmed by Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov.

As of 7:40 p.m., the meeting between Putin and Witkoff has been going on for about two hours, RIA Novosti reports.

According to Peskov, a telephone conversation between Putin and Trump following the meeting with Witkoff is theoretically possible.

At 5:40 p.m., Russian media, citing the Kremlin's press service, reported that the meeting between Putin and Witkoff had begun.

Previously, it was reported that Steve Witkoff had already met with Putin's close advisor Kirill Dmitriev in St. Petersburg.

At 3:23 p.m., Russian media outlet TASS reported, citing Peskov, that the meeting between Witkoff and Putin would take place. According to the Kremlin spokesman, they will discuss the "Ukraine settlement."

He also added that the meeting, "which will last as long as Putin needs," is "a good opportunity to convey Russia's position" to U.S. President Donald Trump. However, Peskov emphasized that "no breakthroughs should be expected" from the meeting between the U.S. special envoy and the Russian leader, as he noted it is a "continuation of diplomatic work" between the two countries.

The visit was previously reported Axios, citing a source familiar with the trip as well as data from FlightRadar.

According to the publication, this will be Witkoff’s third meeting with Putin, while U.S. leader Donald Trump continues to push for a ceasefire in the war between Russia and Ukraine.

A source told the outlet that if a truce is not reached by the end of the month, Trump may impose additional sanctions against Russia — either through executive action or by asking Congress to pass new sanctions legislation.

• In early April, senior Russian official Kirill Dmitriev held a meeting with U.S. presidential envoy Steve Witkoff in Washington.
• Dmitriev later announced new upcoming contacts between Russia and the U.S.