US envoy Witkoff meets Putin for 3 hours as Trump's sanctions deadline nears

Source: Reuters

August 6, 2025 8:55 AM EDT Updated 19 mins ago


MOSCOW, Aug 6 (Reuters) - U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff held "useful and constructive" talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday, a Kremlin aide said, two days before the expiry of a deadline set by President Donald Trump for Russia to agree to peace in Ukraine or face new sanctions.

Witkoff met Putin for around three hours on a last-minute mission to seek a breakthrough in the 3-1/2-year war that began with Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

Kremlin foreign policy aide Yuri Ushakov said the two sides had exchanged "signals" on the Ukraine issue and discussed the possibility of developing strategic cooperation between Moscow and Washington, but declined to give more details until Witkoff had reported back to Trump.

Russian investment envoy Kirill Dmitriev, who earlier greeted Witkoff on arrival and strolled with him in a park near the Kremlin, posted on social media: "Dialogue will prevail." There was no immediate comment from the U.S. side. Trump, increasingly frustrated with Putin over the lack of progress towards peace, has threatened to impose heavy tariffs on countries that buy Russian exports.

Read more: https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/us-envoy-witkoff-meets-putin-3-hours-trumps-sanctions-deadline-nears-2025-08-06/