U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff met with Russian President Vladimir Putin at the Kremlin on Friday as part of Washington’s renewed push — led by President Donald Trump — to broker a peace deal that would end the ongoing war in Ukraine.
The meeting came just one day after Trump issued a direct appeal to Putin, writing on social media, “Vladimir, STOP!” and calling for a ceasefire.
Witkoff, a billionaire real estate investor and close Trump ally, has met with Putin three times since Trump’s return to the White House in January 2025. He’s emerged as a key figure in backchannel diplomacy, though so far, the U.S. has failed to secure major concessions from Moscow.
The Trump administration’s peace plan reportedly includes freezing the current front lines and formally recognizing Russia’s control over Crimea — a position that aligns more with Russian interests and has drawn strong opposition from Ukraine. Trump was quoted in TIME magazine saying, “Crimea will stay with Russia,” adding that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky “understands that.”
Zelensky, however, continues to reject any peace deal that would involve surrendering Ukrainian territory, though he has acknowledged in recent months that diplomacy might be necessary to recover occupied land after a ceasefire.
Despite the latest U.S. push, the situation on the ground remains volatile. Hours before the Witkoff-Putin meeting, Russia launched over 100 drones across Ukraine, killing civilians in Pavlograd. Meanwhile, tensions escalated further when a Russian general was killed in a car bombing just outside Moscow — an attack bearing the signature of Ukrainian covert operations, though Kyiv has not claimed responsibility.
Putin previously rejected a U.S.-proposed unconditional ceasefire that Zelensky had accepted. Trump, in response, warned that if no progress is made soon, “things will happen,” though he did not elaborate on what actions the U.S. might take.
The Biden-era U.S. stance had been firmly supportive of Ukraine’s territorial integrity, but Trump’s approach appears more focused on ending the war quickly — even if that means allowing Russia to keep occupied regions.
This latest development underlines growing frustration in Kyiv. “I don’t see any strong pressure on Russia or any new sanctions packages,” Zelensky said during a trip to South Africa, voicing concern over waning Western resolve.
Meanwhile, discussions about the future of the “five territories” — Crimea and four other regions Russia claims to have annexed — remain at the heart of the stalled negotiations. Witkoff’s remarks on Fox News referencing the Russian-held territories drew criticism from Zelensky, who accused the envoy of “spreading Russian narratives.”
The peace process remains fragile, with no confirmed breakthroughs yet.