U.S. President Donald Trump’s special envoy arrived in Moscow to meet with Russia’s Vladimir Putin, the Kremlin announced Friday afternoon, marking the fourth meeting between the two men since February.
In a video posted by the Kremlin, Witkoff is shown flanked by Russian officials as he enters a large room where Putin often meets with foreign leaders for talks.
“How are you, Mr. President?” Witkoff can be heard saying before shaking hands with Putin, who smiles as he greets the American envoy.
“Fine. Just fine. Thank you,” the Kremlin leader responds in English.
“So good to see you,” Witkoff says, after which Putin invites him to sit down at a table, where the two men are joined by Russian Direct Investment Fund CEO Kirill Dmitriev, Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov and two interpreters.
Earlier, U.S. officials told Axios that Witkoff was expected to meet with Putin on Friday, as Trump pushes for a ceasefire agreement between Moscow and Kyiv.
Some reports suggested Witkoff may press Russia to recognize Ukraine’s right to maintain its military and defense industry as part of a future peace deal. When Putin launched the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, he said one of Russia’s war goals was to “demilitarize” the country.
Trump said Wednesday that he was “very close” to reaching an agreement with the Kremlin, while accusing Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky of being “harder to deal with” after he rejected the idea of recognizing Russian control of the Crimean peninsula.
On Friday, Reuters reported that Ukrainian and European officials have pushed back against U.S. proposals aimed at ending the war, offering counterproposals during recent talks in Paris and London. The differences center on issues, including territorial control and the future of Ukraine’s military.
The U.S. proposal, put forward by Witkoff, includes recognizing Russia’s control over Crimea and parts of eastern and southern Ukraine, while the European-Ukrainian text defers territorial discussions until after a ceasefire, according to Reuters.
The two sides also diverge on sanctions and security terms, with Ukraine seeking stronger guarantees and compensation funded by frozen Russian assets.
Trump has faced criticism for appearing more amenable to Russia’s demands than to those of Ukraine and its European allies. Kremlin officials have repeatedly praised the Trump administration’s shift in foreign policy priorities.
On Thursday, Trump called on Putin to “get this Peace Deal DONE” following a wave of Russian airstrikes on Kyiv that killed at least 12 people and injured dozens more. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov later said Moscow was ready to make a deal and that remaining issues were being “fine tuned.”
Zelensky has urged an “immediate, full and unconditional ceasefire” in response to the recent deadly attacks on Ukrainian cities.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Trump’s patience was “running very thin” amid the protracted negotiations.
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