The essentials
Witkoff's Putin meeting leaves wide gaps, with Moscow demanding Donetsk withdrawal and Kyiv proposing a front-line freeze.
US envoy Steve Witkoff met Vladimir Putin in Saint Petersburg. Witkoff described the talks as constructive and said more work remains. Trump has said the end of the Ukraine war is closer than ever.
The Kremlin said Moscow is ready for trilateral talks around November 10, but requires agreement on substance before any halt to fighting. Russia demands that Ukraine withdraw from the remaining Donetsk territory. Putin has consistently refused face-to-face talks with Zelensky, and the 2025 Russia-Ukraine-US talks ended without concrete results.
In Oslo, where European leaders met Zelensky, Zelensky called for a halt to fighting on current front-line positions and proposed freezing the front line in a Fox News interview. A Kremlin adviser said the Oslo proposals contained little substance.
Russia released American detainee Stephen Hubbard. A possible meeting of Putin, Trump and Xi on the APEC sidelines in Shenzhen in November has also been proposed. US lawmakers, including Republicans, have criticized Witkoff's praise of Putin.
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Envoy's Moscow visit tests whether talks can gain traction
Witkoff's description of the Saint Petersburg meeting as constructive, combined with Trump's view that the war's end is closer than ever, signals optimism within the US administration. The Kremlin's readiness for trilateral talks around November 10 suggests a channel remains open. However, Moscow's conditions, including agreement on substance and Ukrainian withdrawal from remaining Donetsk territory, indicate the distance between the parties on core terms.
Lawmakers across parties question Witkoff's praise for Putin amid talks
Criticism from US lawmakers, including Republicans, centers on Witkoff's public praise of Putin following the meeting. Critics view the framing as at odds with the terms Moscow has set. Zelensky's call for a freeze on current front-line positions and the Kremlin adviser's assessment that the Oslo proposals lacked substance show how each side's proposals are being received. The debate reflects differing views on how the US envoy should approach negotiations.