Trump envoy meets Putin in Russia amid frustration over stalled peace talks

White House envoy Steve Witkoff met with Russian President Vladimir Putin in St. Petersburg on Friday in an effort to jumpstart peace talks with Ukraine, which have hit a roadblock in recent weeks. President Donald Trump has expressed frustration with both sides of the conflict and is pushing for a ceasefire to end the war.

The meeting between Witkoff and Putin at the presidential library in St. Petersburg was seen as a step towards negotiating a ceasefire. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt stated that the U.S. has leverage over both Ukraine and Russia to pressure them into agreeing to peace.

Trump has demanded an immediate 30-day ceasefire while negotiations for a longer peace deal take place. While Ukraine has agreed to this, Russia has not. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy claimed that Chinese citizens were fighting on behalf of Russia within Ukraine’s borders, suggesting that Russia is receiving direct manpower aid from North Korea and China.

Ahead of the meeting, Trump escalated pressure on Putin through social media, calling for Russia to take action to end the war. He also threatened to impose “secondary tariffs” on Russia’s oil exports, which could significantly impact the country’s war efforts.

In addition to the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, Trump has also criticized Zelenskyy, calling him a “dictator without elections.” Despite the tensions, progress has been made in negotiations, with the U.S. and Russia recently carrying out a prisoner exchange deal and discussing reopening operations at each other’s embassies.

Witkoff’s meeting with Putin marks his third meeting with the Russian president this year. Following the meeting in St. Petersburg, he will head to Oman to negotiate with Iran in nuclear talks. While Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov tempered expectations by stating that no breakthroughs should be expected, the process of normalizing relations between the U.S. and Russia continues.

Overall, the meeting between Witkoff and Putin signals a renewed effort to reach a ceasefire and end the conflict between Russia and Ukraine. Trump’s frustration with the ongoing war has pushed for progress in negotiations, and the involvement of key envoys like Witkoff is seen as a crucial step towards achieving peace in the region.