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The US president’s confidant spent over four hours behind closed doors with the Russian leader in St. Petersburg
White House special envoy Steve Witkoff has departed Russia in the same secrecy that surrounded his arrival on Friday, after spending more than four hours talking with President Vladimir Putin behind closed doors in St. Petersburg.
The marathon talks – the third known meeting between the two – were held in Putin’s hometown, with both the Kremlin and the White House offering few details about the substance of the discussions. Here’s what we know so far.
Surprise visit to St. Petersburg
Witkoff’s latest trip to Russia came without prior public announcement. Air traffic monitors tracked a plane linked to the US envoy flying from Florida to St. Petersburg overnight. He was later spotted alongside Russian presidential aide Kirill Dmitriev, walking out of a hotel in the city center before the talks. Previous meetings between Witkoff and Putin had taken place in Moscow.
READ MORE: Kremlin confirms Putin meeting with Trump envoy
Kremlin sheds some light
The Kremlin confirmed that the four-hour discussion focused on “aspects of the settlement of the Ukraine conflict,” but declined to provide further details. Presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov previously said topics could also include normalization of US-Russia relations, a possible in-person meeting between Trump and Putin, and concerns Moscow wanted to convey directly to a trusted Trump representative.
READ MORE: Kremlin reveals content of Putin’s talks with Trump envoy
White House explains visit
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said Witkoff’s trip was part of Trump’s broader effort to negotiate a ceasefire and an eventual peace deal in Ukraine. “This is another step in the negotiating process,” Leavitt said, while declining to provide specifics.
READ MORE: White House explains purpose of envoy’s Russia visit
Putin envoy’s visit to Washington
Witkoff’s visit came just days after Russian presidential aide Kirill Dmitriev traveled to Washington for talks with senior Trump officials. Dmitriev, who advises Putin on international economic cooperation, described Friday’s discussions with Witkoff as “productive” in a post on X, welcoming the US envoy to St. Petersburg.
READ MORE: Putin envoy gives timeframe for next Russia-US contact
Current state of Russia-US talks on Ukraine
During a White House meeting with President Donald Trump last week, Witkoff argued that recognizing Russian ownership of Lugansk, Donetsk, Zaporozhye, and Kherson was the swiftest path to halting the conflict, according to media reports. General Keith Kellogg, Trump’s Ukraine envoy, reportedly pushed back, stressing that Ukraine would not accept full territorial concessions. Witkoff defended his approach in a recent interview with Tucker Carlson, citing referendums held in the regions. The White House meeting reportedly concluded without a decision from Trump, who has repeatedly said he aims to broker a ceasefire as soon as possible.
READ MORE: Elections in Ukraine, Kiev’s NATO ambitions: Key takeaways from Trump envoy’s interview
What’s next?
Peskov said another phone call between Putin and Trump is “theoretically possible” following Witkoff’s visit, depending on the outcome of negotiations. The two leaders last spoke on March 18, and have both publicly expressed readiness to eventually meet in person when the time is right.
READ MORE: Trump hails ‘rational’ Putin conversations
