White House envoy Steve Witkoff met for three hours on Friday with Russian President Vladimir Putin at the Kremlin.
Why it matters: The fourth meeting between Witkoff and Putin comes a day after President Trump made a public demand that Russia stop its missile and drone attacks on Ukraine and focus on negotiating a peace deal.
- “Vladimir, STOP! Lets get the Peace Deal DONE!” Trump wrote on his Truth Social account on Thursday.
He said in a post Friday that after a “good day in talks and meetings with Russia and Ukraine” they “are very close to a deal, and the two sides should now meet, at very high levels, to ‘finish it off.'”
- “Most of the major points are agreed to. Stop the bloodshed, NOW,” Trump added.
Driving the news: Putin’s advisers Yuri Ushakov and Kirill Dmitriev also attended the meeting.
- Ushakov said in a briefing with reporters that the meeting was “constructive and useful.”
- He added that the meeting brought the U.S. and Russia “closer together” on Ukraine and other issues.
- Ushakov said Putin discussed with Witkoff the possibility of resuming direct negotiations between Russia and Ukraine.
The big picture: Trump presented to Ukraine and Russia a “final offer” to end the war. It includes U.S. recognition of Crimea as part of Russia and unofficial recognition of Russian control of nearly all areas occupied since the 2022 invasion.
- Ukraine rejected the U.S. proposal and together with the U.K., France and Germany gave Trump’s envoy Keith Kellogg a counter-proposal, European diplomats say.
What he is saying: In an interview with Time magazine published on Friday Trump said he thinks Putin would rather occupy all of Ukraine, but claimed his diplomatic efforts and pressure brought the Russian president to the negotiating table.
- Trump said he thinks Ukraine’s president Zelensky also wants a deal. “We’re getting very close to a deal,” he said.
- When asked about his campaign promise that he would end the war in Ukraine on Day One Trump said: “I said that figuratively… as an exaggeration, because to make a point.”
- The president said Ukraine will never be able to join NATO and claimed “what caused the war to start was when they started talking about joining NATO.” Trump also stressed “Crimea will stay with Russia” and claimed that “Zelensky understands that.”
Yes, but: A deal currently doesn’t appear nearly as close as Trump claims.
- Zelensky outright rejected parts of Trump’s plan, such as recognition of Crimea as Russian.
- However, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov claimed Russia is ready to make a deal and just requires some elements of the proposal to be “fine-tuned.”
Zoom in: Trump posted on Truth Social that Zelensky had yet to sign the planned minerals deal with the U.S., which he said was now “at least three weeks late.”
Editor’s note: This story was updated with Ushakov’s comments and Trump’s posts.