Putin meets with US special envoy for Ukraine talks

IANS April 12, 2025 266 views

Russian President Vladimir Putin met with US special envoy Steve Witkoff in St. Petersburg for critical discussions about the Ukraine conflict. The closed-door meeting, which involved Kremlin officials and Russian investment leaders, focused on diplomatic negotiations and bilateral relations. Prior to meeting Putin, Witkoff held talks with Kirill Dmitriev, who described the discussions as "productive". The meeting also addressed diplomatic mission banking services and potential property resolutions between Russia and the United States.

"Talks were productive" - Kirill Dmitriev, Russian Investment Fund Head
St. Petersburg, April 12: Russian President Vladimir Putin met with Steve Witkoff, a special envoy of US President Donald Trump, in St.

Key Points

1

Putin and Witkoff discuss Ukrainian settlement behind closed doors

2

Diplomatic notes exchanged on banking services for missions

3

Roadmap developed for returning diplomatic properties

Petersburg for talks on the Ukraine conflict. The Kremlin said the meeting focused on "various aspects of the Ukrainian settlement," without elaborating.

The talks were held behind closed doors, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said earlier. He said the two sides would exchange views on the Ukraine issue but no breakthrough was expected in the talks, Xinhua news agency reported.

Before meeting with Putin, Witkoff held talks with Kirill Dmitriev, the head of the Russian Direct Investment Fund and the Russian special presidential envoy for economic cooperation with foreign countries. Dmitriev later said that talks with Witkoff were "productive."

According to Russian news agency TASS, Witkoff arrived in Russia on a business visit Friday morning and departed St. Petersburg late in the evening.

Earlier the Russian consulate in Istanbul said that progress has been made on ensuring banking and financial services for Russian and US diplomatic missions during the second round of bilateral talks in Istanbul.

Delegations from the two countries "exchanged diplomatic notes to formalise agreed commitments. These commitments are designed to facilitate unimpeded banking and financial services for Russian and American diplomatic missions, in addition to ensuring the fulfillment of the Russian Federation's contributions to the budgets of the UN and other international organisations," the consulate said in a press release.

The two sides "agreed to develop a roadmap" regarding the return of six diplomatic real estate properties confiscated by US authorities and lawfully owned by Russia, the consulate said.

Reader Comments

M
Michael T.
Interesting development, but I'll believe it when we see actual results. These talks have been going on for years with little progress. Hope this time is different 🤞
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Sarah K.
The banking agreement sounds like a positive step forward! At least they're finding common ground on some practical issues. Maybe this will build trust for bigger negotiations.
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James P.
Why are these meetings always behind closed doors? More transparency would help the public understand what's really being discussed. The secrecy makes me suspicious.
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Anna L.
The economic cooperation angle is smart - maybe starting with business ties can create momentum for political solutions. Fingers crossed for peaceful progress!
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David R.
I appreciate that the article included both sides' perspectives. Balanced reporting is so important when covering these sensitive diplomatic talks.
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Elena S.
As someone with family in Ukraine, I just hope these talks lead to real peace efforts. Too many lives have been affected already. 🙏

We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.

Tags:
Vladimir Putin Steve Witkoff Ukraine Conflict Russia-US Diplomacy Kremlin Talks
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