Skip to content 
US envoy Steve Witkoff arrived in St. Petersburg for talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin about Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine.
US Ambassador Steve Witkoff is in St. Louis on Wednesday. Petersburg for talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin about Moscow’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, as US President Donald Trump pressures Kiev to make a deal to end the fighting.
The visit came a day after Witkoff met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and several European leaders in the Norwegian capital Oslo. Witkoff planned to return to Oslo for more consultations after his trip to Russia, Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre said.
“I think we may have now entered a phase where the Russians are also looking for opportunities for diplomacy,” Støre told Norwegian broadcaster NRK on Wednesday morning. Zelenskyy was still in Oslo on Wednesday, where he visited the country’s parliament and met the legislators. Witkoff’s meetings suggested the leaders are eager to bring momentum to US-led peace efforts, more than 4 1/2 years after the Russian army invaded.
Efforts by the Trump administration since early last year to end the war have made no significant progress, and there has been no suggestion of an imminent breakthrough. Russia and Ukraine are still far apart in their terms of a settlement, as their armies remain locked on the battlefield and they strike each other with daily long-range strikes.
Putin’s aide Yuri Ushakov said the Russian president met Witkoff in the Constantine Palace in St. Petersburg in the first half of the day on Wednesday. Presidential envoy Kirill Dmitriev will attend the meeting, he said.
“Negotiations on a settlement in Ukraine are, of course, an integral part of today’s agenda,” Ushakov told reporters. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Tuesday that Moscow was ready to listen to new US proposals on Ukraine, but he did not expect a “miracle” from Washington. At the White House on Tuesday, Trump increased the pressure on Zelenskyy to reach an agreement with Russia, as relations between the two men deteriorated again.
“We want Zelenskyy to make a deal,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office. “We have given Ukraine a lot. We have absolutely nothing in return except grief, death, enormous monetary loss. “If this does not happen, “I think it will be a very bad thing,” Trump said.
Amid fears that Washington is turning its back on Ukraine, Zelenskyy said Kiev would once again receive early warnings from its partners about incoming Russian missiles, following recent strikes that he said were without sufficient notice from allies. The change occurred after Zelenskyy spoke with his American counterparts, including a phone call with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio. ___ Follow AP’s coverage of the war in Ukraine at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine
Screw the next story
0% revealed · 100 points
Sergey Lavrov Steve Witkoff Vladimir Putin Marco Rubio Jonas Gahr Støre Volodymyr Zelenskyy Yuri Ushakov Kirill Dmitriev World News
USA Latest News, USA Headlines
Similar news: You can also read news similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Petersburg oil facilities ablaze as Ukraine launches more than 1,000 drones at RussiaUkrainian attackers set fire to an oil export terminal in St. Petersburg, Russia’s second-largest city.
Read more »
Kushner, Witkoff set for Ukraine peace talks in Norway amid rising tensionsUS envoys Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff are arranging to visit Norway for further negotiations on the Ukraine conflict, with President Zelenskyy likely to attend. The talks continue as Ukraine accuses the US of restricting military support and Trump criticizes Ukrainian leadership for blocking a settlement.
Read more »
Zelenskyy to meet Witkoff as Trump praises Russia and punishes UkraineUkrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy was scheduled to meet in Oslo on Tuesday with special envoy Steve Witkoff to repair ties with Washington that have deteriorated this month.
Read more »
US Envoy Steve Witkoff meets Zelenskyy in NorwayWhite House Special Envoy Steve Witkoff meets with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Norway to discuss the renewal of peace negotiations.
Read more »
