ST PETERSBURG, Russia, Oct 21 – U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff met Russian President Vladimir Putin in St. Petersburg on Wednesday for discussions aimed at advancing efforts to end the war in Ukraine, as President Donald Trump renewed pressure on Kyiv to reach an agreement with Moscow. The meeting came amid continued fighting, growing diplomatic activity and persistent disagreements over the conditions required for a lasting settlement.
The talks lasted approximately three hours, according to the Kremlin. Witkoff and Putin made no immediate public statements after the meeting, leaving the outcome unclear. However, the discussions followed a series of diplomatic engagements involving Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, European leaders and American officials, suggesting renewed efforts to move negotiations forward after months of limited progress.
Speaking at the beginning of the meeting, Witkoff said he hoped to discuss restarting trilateral negotiations involving the United States, Russia and Ukraine. Such discussions would allow technical teams from the three countries to examine practical steps toward a possible peace agreement.
Putin thanked Trump and Witkoff for their efforts to end the conflict, which began with Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Despite the latest diplomatic contacts, Moscow and Kyiv remain divided over the terms of a settlement, while attacks continue along the front lines and against infrastructure far from the battlefield.
Witkoff and Putin Discuss Next Steps Toward Peace
The meeting took place at Constantine Palace in St. Petersburg, where Putin was joined by Russian presidential envoy Kirill Dmitriev and foreign affairs adviser Yuri Ushakov. Witkoff said Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner, was expected to participate in the discussions through a video link.
Before meeting Putin, Witkoff described his previous day’s discussions in Oslo as productive and said there was some degree of momentum behind the diplomatic process. He also planned to brief the Russian president on the conversations with Zelenskyy and European representatives.
Finnish President Alexander Stubb, who attended the Oslo meeting, said late Tuesday that the discussions had made genuine progress. His comments offered a cautiously positive assessment of the diplomatic activity, although no agreement on the central issues separating Russia and Ukraine was announced.
Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre also suggested that negotiations could be entering a new stage. Speaking to Norwegian broadcaster NRK on Wednesday, Støre said he believed Russia might be increasingly interested in exploring diplomatic opportunities. He added that Witkoff planned to return to Oslo after his visit to Russia for further consultations.
Zelenskyy remained in the Norwegian capital on Wednesday, visiting parliament and meeting lawmakers as diplomatic discussions continued. His presence highlighted Kyiv’s efforts to remain involved in negotiations at a time when Trump has publicly urged Ukraine to accept a deal.
The Ukrainian president said Tuesday that the discussions covered several major questions, including future security guarantees for Ukraine, the status of territories occupied by Russia, reconstruction after the war and the possibility of a ceasefire.
These issues remain among the most difficult obstacles to an agreement. Ukraine wants assurances that another Russian invasion can be prevented, while the future of occupied territory remains a fundamental point of disagreement between the two governments.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said Tuesday that Moscow was prepared to listen to new American proposals concerning Ukraine. However, he warned against expecting a dramatic breakthrough from Washington, indicating that Russia was not promising an immediate change in its position.
Although the latest meetings have increased diplomatic contact, there has been no public indication that either side has agreed to the compromises needed for a comprehensive settlement.
Trump Presses Zelenskyy as Fighting Continues
The St. Petersburg meeting came one day after Witkoff met Zelenskyy and several European leaders in Oslo. It also followed Trump’s renewed public criticism of the Ukrainian president, underscoring the pressure Kyiv faces as Washington attempts to advance a negotiated end to the war.
Speaking to reporters in the Oval Office on Tuesday, Trump said he wanted Zelenskyy to make a deal with Russia. He argued that the United States had provided substantial assistance to Ukraine without receiving sufficient returns, pointing to the deaths, destruction and financial costs associated with the conflict.
Trump warned that failing to reach an agreement could have serious consequences. His remarks reflected an increasingly forceful approach toward Kyiv as his administration continues its efforts to bring Moscow and Ukraine to the negotiating table.
Zelenskyy, meanwhile, has argued that freezing the fighting would be the minimum requirement for moving toward an end to the war. In an interview broadcast Wednesday on Fox News, he said a freeze in hostilities represented a practical way to begin ending the conflict.
A ceasefire, however, would not necessarily resolve the underlying territorial and security disputes. The two sides would still need to determine how occupied areas would be addressed, what guarantees Ukraine would receive and how any agreement could be enforced.
Concerns have also grown in Kyiv about the reliability of warnings from international partners ahead of Russian missile attacks. Zelenskyy said Ukraine was again receiving advance warnings about incoming Russian missiles after recent strikes that, according to him, had occurred without sufficient notice from allies.
The change followed conversations between Zelenskyy and American officials, including a telephone call with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
Trump said on October 11 that Russia and Ukraine had agreed to halt attacks on energy infrastructure. Nevertheless, both countries have continued strikes affecting critical facilities. Russia has maintained attacks against Ukraine’s power network, while Ukrainian forces have targeted Russian oil infrastructure.
On Sunday, Ukrainian strikes set an oil export terminal and a depot ablaze in St. Petersburg. Kyiv also launched more than 1,000 drones toward Russia in one of the largest aerial operations of the war, according to the information provided by Ukrainian and Russian officials.
The continuing attacks demonstrate how difficult it may be to turn diplomatic discussions into a durable ceasefire, particularly while both governments continue to pursue military objectives.
Russian and Ukrainian Attacks Leave Dead and Injured
The latest diplomatic efforts unfolded alongside another night of deadly Russian attacks across Ukraine. Ukrainian officials reported that five people were killed and 23 others were injured in strikes affecting Kyiv and the Kharkiv region.
Kyiv’s military administration said Russian attacks overnight killed three people and wounded 12. Ten residential buildings were also damaged, adding to the destruction caused by repeated strikes on the Ukrainian capital.
Ukrainian Prime Minister Serhii Koretskyi said energy facilities in Kyiv and three other cities were targeted early Wednesday. The attacks raised further concerns about the security of essential infrastructure as Ukraine continues to face pressure on its electricity supply and other critical services.
In the area outside Kharkiv, two people were killed and 11 wounded when drones exploded in a residential area, Koretskyi said. The reported casualties highlighted the continuing danger to civilians even as diplomats seek a framework for negotiations.
Russia also reported Ukrainian drone attacks against multiple regions. The Russian Defense Ministry said its air defenses intercepted 373 Ukrainian drones overnight across several Russian regions, as well as over Crimea, which Russia illegally annexed in 2014, and the Black Sea.
The ministry also said Russian forces struck a warehouse, an electrical substation and a bulk carrier at sea that was heading toward the Ukrainian port of Odesa. The claims from the Russian military were not accompanied by an immediate independent assessment of the reported strikes.
Moscow and Kyiv have repeatedly accused each other of attacking civilian areas and critical infrastructure. The continued exchange of long-range strikes has complicated diplomatic efforts, leaving both governments under pressure to demonstrate progress while maintaining their military positions.
Beyond the immediate fighting, Putin’s meeting with Witkoff also touched on the possibility of restoring economic ties between Russia and the United States. The Russian president said he was prepared to consider prospects for renewed economic cooperation and discuss the U.S.-led conflict with Iran.
Putin said Moscow was willing to use its close relationship with Tehran to help promote peace. The comments broadened the scope of the discussions beyond Ukraine, although no specific agreement on economic relations or Iran was announced.
Witkoff also thanked Putin for lifting Russia’s ban on diesel exports, saying the move could help reduce costs for American farmers and truckers. The decision had drawn criticism from some U.S. lawmakers concerned about Washington’s approach toward Moscow while the war continued.
Separately, Russia released Stephen Hubbard, a retired American teacher who had been imprisoned on charges of fighting as a mercenary in Ukraine. Witkoff confirmed the release on Wednesday after Trump had asked Putin to free him. The development appeared to offer a possible goodwill gesture, although officials did not immediately establish a direct connection between Hubbard’s release and the peace negotiations.
Putin was also scheduled to meet Chinese Premier Li Qiang in St. Petersburg on Wednesday. Russia has strengthened its relationship with China during its confrontation with Western governments, and the two countries have coordinated their positions on several international issues, including sanctions-related matters at the United Nations.
For now, the outcome of Witkoff’s meeting with Putin remains uncertain. The planned consultations in Oslo, Trump’s demands for a deal and Zelenskyy’s call for a freeze in fighting indicate that diplomatic efforts are continuing. Yet with territorial disputes unresolved and attacks still killing civilians, any lasting settlement will depend on whether Moscow and Kyiv can move beyond preliminary discussions and agree on enforceable terms for ending the war.