Translated with AI
US President Donald Trump's special envoy, Steven Witkoff, met with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow. Russian official media reported this on Wednesday.
The talks, held in the Kremlin, lasted over two and a half hours. According to available information, the main topic of the meeting was ways to resolve the conflict in Ukraine in light of Washington's previously issued ultimatum to Moscow.
Earlier that day, Steven Witkoff held separate talks with Kirill Dmitriev, head of the Russian Direct Investment Fund and special presidential envoy. The two sides reportedly exchanged views on a number of pressing international issues, including bilateral cooperation and economic sanctions. A video of Witkoff and Dmitriev's joint walk through Zaryadye Park was published by several Russian media outlets.
The US special envoy arrived in Moscow on August 6. His visit was announced in advance by US President Donald Trump. The White House chief previously announced that the Russian side had expressed its willingness to host Whitkoff in Moscow. "They invited him to a meeting. We'll see where this goes," the American leader noted.
Trump's ultimatum to the Russian leadership expires in two days. The US president is demanding that Moscow take concrete steps to end the fighting in Ukraine. Failure to comply, he says, will result in secondary tariffs of 100 percent being imposed on Russian trade partners.
"If Russia doesn't agree to peace, there will be sanctions. But they've learned to circumvent them. So we'll see," Trump said earlier. He added that a deal is necessary to stop the bloodshed. "We've already stopped many wars—between India and Pakistan, Cambodia and Thailand, in Congo and Rwanda. It's time to end this war, too," the American leader emphasized.
Witkoff's visit to Moscow was his fifth since the beginning of the year. Previous talks with Russian leaders took place on February 11, March 13, April 11, and April 25.
On the eve of his trip to Moscow, Trump held a telephone conversation with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Experts believe Whitkoff's visit could play a key role in diplomatic efforts to end the conflict.
