Washington views the visit of Stephen Witkoff, special envoy of former U.S. President Donald Trump, to Russia as an important step toward a ceasefire and the achievement of peace in Ukraine.
This was stated on Friday by White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt.
I can confirm that Mr. Witkoff is in Russia for direct contacts with the Kremlin and Vladimir Putin. This is another step in the negotiation process toward a ceasefire and a final peace agreement, Leavitt said at a briefing.
The meeting between Vladimir Putin and Stephen Witkoff is taking place in St. Petersburg, according to Russian presidential spokesperson Dmitry Peskov. He added that a phone conversation between Putin and Trump may take place following the talks.
We do not rule out the possibility that President Putin and Mr. Trump may have a phone conversation after the meeting with Mr. Witkoff, Peskov said.
Witkoff’s visit marks the first direct contact between a Trump representative and the Russian leadership since the beginning of the conflict in Ukraine.
