Kremlin Aide Calls Putin-Witkoff Meeting in Moscow ‘Useful and Constructive’
MOSCOW – The Kremlin announced on Wednesday that Russian President Vladimir Putin held a “useful and constructive” meeting with US President Donald Trump’s special envoy, Steven Witkoff, in Moscow, as tensions over the ongoing war in Ukraine escalate ahead of Trump’s ceasefire ultimatum.
According to Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov, the three-hour meeting focused on the war in Ukraine and the future of strategic cooperation between Moscow and Washington. Ushakov told reporters that both sides exchanged signals regarding the conflict, with Putin receiving messages from the Trump administration and offering responses in kind.
“US Presidential Special Envoy Steven Witkoff was received by our president this morning. A very useful and constructive conversation took place,” Ushakov said, adding that Putin is now “fully informed” about Washington’s latest position. However, he noted that Trump had not yet been briefed on the outcome and therefore withheld further details.
Witkoff’s visit marks his fifth trip to Russia since the start of the year and his first face-to-face meeting with Putin since April 25. It also comes just two days before the expiration of Trump’s shortened 10-day ultimatum for a ceasefire agreement between Russia and Ukraine.
In June, President Trump gave Moscow a 50-day window to reach a peace deal, warning of severe economic consequences—including import tariffs of up to 100%—against Russia and its trade partners. On July 29, citing growing “disappointment” with Putin, Trump abruptly reduced the deadline to 10 days, intensifying pressure on the Kremlin.
