The Kremlin is expecting a meeting between Putin and Witkoff following talks on Ukraine

The Kremlin hopes that U.S. negotiator Steve Witkoff will meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin in the near future and brief him on his contacts with the Ukrainian and European sides. Moscow also expects the exchange of messages between Washington and the Kremlin on important issues to continue.

Journalists noted that talks on resolving the war in Ukraine are scheduled to take place in Norway. According to the information provided, the talks will be attended by representatives of U.S. President Donald Trump—Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner—as well as Finnish President Alexander Stubb and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

Peskov was asked whether Witkoff might travel to Russia after these talks and whether a meeting with Putin was scheduled on the Kremlin leader’s agenda.

“We hope that a meeting can be arranged in the near future and that the American negotiators, Mr. Witkoff, will be able to brief President Putin on their contacts with both the Ukrainians and the Europeans, as well as continue the exchange of views between Washington and Moscow on a number of very important issues,” Peskov said.

He also emphasized that Moscow attaches great importance to such contacts and views the U.S. side’s mediation efforts positively.

“We consider such meetings to be very important every time; they are always timely, they are very substantive, and we highly value the mediation efforts of the American negotiators,” the Kremlin spokesperson added.

Separately, a journalist asked Peskov to comment on media reports that a meeting between Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner with Vladimir Putin might take place in St. Petersburg.

The Kremlin spokesman did not confirm the venue for the talks and stated that details would be provided later.

“We will inform you about when and where the meeting will take place,” Peskov replied.

Thus, the Kremlin expressed hope for an upcoming meeting between Putin and the American negotiators, though the specific date and location of the talks have not yet been announced.

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov made this statement to Russian media.

Earlier, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi stated that the lack of trust between the parties remains one of the main obstacles to a peaceful resolution of Russia’s war against Ukraine. According to him, to achieve lasting peace, it is necessary to resume dialogue, strengthen mutual understanding, and be prepared to make mutual concessions.

European leaders are considering the possibility of direct negotiations with Russian dictator Vladimir Putin and are discussing two potential scenarios for ending the war in Ukraine. One scenario involves a freeze on hostilities along the current front line, while the other involves ceding the remainder of the Donbas to Russia in exchange for Ukraine’s potential accession to NATO.

U.S. President Donald Trump accused Volodymyr Zelenskyy of being unwilling to end the war. The American leader stated that, in his opinion, the Ukrainian president has not sought an end to hostilities either now or in the past.

More than half of Ukrainians—56%—believe the war will not end before the second half of 2027. At the same time, 62% of those surveyed said they are prepared to endure the war for as long as necessary.