Daijiworld Media Network - St Petersburg
St Petersburg, Apr 12: In a significant diplomatic development, US special envoy Steve Witkoff met Russian President Vladimir Putin in St Petersburg on Friday, with talks reportedly lasting over four hours and focusing on the ongoing Ukraine war.
The meeting, Witkoff's third with Putin this year, comes as US President Donald Trump urged the Kremlin to push forward on a ceasefire. "Russia has to get moving. Too many people are dying, thousands a week, in a terrible and senseless war," Trump posted on social media.
Describing the talks as ‘productive’, Russian envoy Kirill Dmitriev said discussions centred on a Ukrainian settlement. However, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov downplayed expectations, stating there was "no need to expect breakthroughs" at this stage.
The meeting follows controversy around remarks made by Trump’s Ukraine envoy, Keith Kellogg. The Times quoted Kellogg suggesting Western troops could take control of western Ukraine, while Russia holds the east drawing comparisons to post-WWII Berlin. Kellogg later denied suggesting any partition, saying his comments were ‘misrepresented’.
Amid diplomatic back-and-forth, Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky visited the site of a deadly Russian missile strike in his hometown Kryvyi Rih, where 19 people, including nine children, were killed. Laying flowers in their memory, Zelensky accused Russia of prolonging the war and even claimed hundreds of Chinese nationals were fighting alongside Russian forces a charge Kyiv says is backed by the capture of two Chinese fighters.
Zelensky renewed his plea for air defence systems and noted that Ukraine is ready to purchase them. “Only powerful weapons can protect life when you have a neighbour like Russia,” he said, mentioning discussions with Trump over the same.
Meanwhile, US-Russia diplomatic efforts continue cautiously. Earlier this year, both nations held direct talks in Saudi Arabia, and efforts to normalize diplomatic ties are reportedly underway. However, a US-led ceasefire attempt in the Black Sea faltered when Russia demanded sanctions be lifted.
Trump, maintaining his stance, claimed the war ‘would never have happened’ under his presidency and has expressed anger over stalled peace efforts. He has been critical of Putin, stating he’s ‘very angry’ about the lack of progress on ending the conflict.
Amid tensions, a rare breakthrough occurred this week with a prisoner swap. Russian-American Ksenia Karelina, jailed for donating $51 to a Ukrainian charity, was exchanged for Russian-German national Arthur Petrov, accused of smuggling microelectronics to aid Russia’s military.
While the talks signal some level of engagement, both sides remain far from a comprehensive resolution to the devastating conflict.