LONDON — President Donald Trump’s particular envoy Steve Witkoff was greeted by Russian President Vladimir Putin on the Kremlin in Moscow on Wednesday forward of anticipated talks, Russian state media reported.
Witkoff was met on his arrival in Moscow by Kirill Dmitriev — the pinnacle of the Russian Direct Funding Fund — on the capital’s Vnukovo Airport, in accordance with state media businesses Tass and Interfax.
On this pool {photograph} distributed by the Russian state company Sputnik, Russia’s President Vladimir Putin greets U.S. Particular Envoy Steve Witkoff previous to their talks in Moscow on Aug. 6, 2025.
Gavriil Grigorov/POOL/AFP by way of Getty Photographs
The go to is Witkoff’s fifth to Moscow since Trump took workplace, with the particular envoy on the forefront of White Home efforts to finish Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, which started in February 2022.
A supply aware of Witkoff’s plans advised ABC Information on Tuesday that the particular envoy was anticipated to carry conferences with Russian management on Wednesday.
Tass reported that Witkoff and Dmitriev walked within the Zaryadye Park in central Moscow earlier than Witkoff’s convoy traveled to the Kremlin.
Witkoff was final in Moscow on Apr. 25, when he met with Russian Putin on the Kremlin.
On this pool {photograph} distributed by the Russian state company Sputnik, Russia’s President Vladimir Putin greets U.S. Particular Envoy Steve Witkoff previous to their talks in Moscow on Aug. 6, 2025.
Gavriil Grigorov/POOL/AFP by way of Getty Photographs
Final month, Trump mentioned he would impose extra financial measures — together with secondary sanctions on Russian fossil gas export clients, the biggest of that are India and China — if Putin did not comply with a ceasefire by Aug. 8.
Trump cited Russia’s continued drone and missile strikes on Ukraine when issuing his ultimatum to the Kremlin, which was initially set at 50 days however later shortened to solely 10 days. In July, Russia set a brand new month-to-month document for long-range assaults on Ukraine, per knowledge from the Ukrainian air power, firing 6,443 drones and missiles into the nation.
Ukraine is backing the U.S. demand for a direct ceasefire, after which negotiations as to a full peace deal can happen. On Tuesday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy mentioned he “coordinated” positions with Trump in a telephone dialog.
“At this time, we coordinated our positions — Ukraine and the US,” Zelenskyy wrote in a put up to X. “We exchanged assessments of the state of affairs: The Russians have intensified the brutality of their assaults. President Trump is totally knowledgeable about Russian strikes on Kyiv and different cities and communities.”
On Monday, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov mentioned Russia was open to extra conferences with Witkoff. “The dialogue continues and the US continues its efforts to mediate within the seek for a Ukrainian settlement,” he mentioned, as quoted by Tass.
“These efforts are crucial, together with within the context of the continuing technique of direct Russian-Ukrainian negotiations,” Peskov mentioned. “Work is continuous, and we stay dedicated to the concept a political and diplomatic answer to the Ukrainian drawback is, after all, our most popular choice.”
It is a creating story. Please verify again for updates.
ABC Information’ Joe Simonetti, Shannon Okay. Kingston, Yuriy Zaliznyak and Ellie Kaufman contributed to this report.
