Witkoff and Putin conferred last week in St. Petersburg — the third meeting since Trump returned to office in January — alongside Putin aides Yuri Ushakov and Kirill Dmitriev.
Witkoff described a “five-hour discussion” and signaled he saw prospects for a broader peace framework.
“Putin wants a permanent peace here. We got an answer to that, though it took time,” Witkoff told Fox News.
He noted the plan under discussion involves “five territories” currently under Russian occupation, along with Russia’s demand that Ukraine renounce its bid to join NATO.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has consistently ruled out ceding any territory to Russia to end the war. The Kremlin, meanwhile, has said Western sanctions must be eased for a Black Sea truce to occur — a stance both Kyiv and the EU reject.
Witkoff also confirmed bilateral commercial projects came up during the talks.
“I believe there’s a possibility to reshape the Russian-U.S. relationship through compelling business opportunities that can stabilize the region,” he said.
Despite Trump’s push for an unconditional ceasefire, Moscow’s refusal to drop sanctions-related conditions continues to complicate efforts. Last month, Putin rejected a U.S.-Ukrainian proposal for a full pause in hostilities unless certain Western measures against Russia were lifted.
On Sunday, at least 35 people were killed and more than 100 injured in a Russian attack on the Ukrainian city of Sumy.
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Source: AFP, PAP, The Kyiv Independent