rki.news
Moscow, August 06 – Russian President Vladimir Putin met with US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff at the Kremlin on Wednesday, just two days before a critical deadline set by US President Donald Trump for a Ukraine ceasefire agreement.
The Kremlin confirmed the meeting in a brief statement and later released a short video showing Putin and Witkoff shaking hands. However, no details about the discussions were provided.
This visit marks Witkoff’s fifth trip to Russia this year and his third meeting with Putin. His previous visits in April focused on ceasefire negotiations and potential ways to reduce tensions between Moscow and Kyiv.
Witkoff’s latest trip comes ahead of Friday’s deadline set by President Trump, who in June gave Moscow 50 days to agree to a ceasefire in Ukraine. Trump warned that failure to reach a deal would result in sweeping import duties—up to 100%—on Russia and its trading partners.
On July 29, citing disappointment with Putin’s inaction, Trump shortened the timeline from 50 to 10 days, signaling a tougher stance.
While expectations around this round of talks remain uncertain, the timing of the meeting has drawn attention, with analysts watching closely to see if Moscow will move to avoid new US economic penalties.