Trump's envoy meets Putin in Russia.. This is all we know about what is happening

On Wednesday, US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff will hold talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin, aiming to put forward proposals to end the war in Ukraine and pave the way for broader negotiations. The talks began on Wednesday morning in St. Petersburg, following the summit that brought together Witkov with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, on Tuesday, in Norway.

In a video of the meeting, Witkopf indicated that discussing the results of the Oslo summit - which he described as "fruitful" - was on the agenda. The Trump administration envoy said: “I think there is some momentum, and I hope that today’s meeting will constitute another step forward in the peace process, and in discussing ways to settle the Ukrainian conflict.”

Witkov also urged Putin to consider resuming trilateral talks between Russia, the United States and Ukraine, where technical issues could be discussed, he said during the meeting. Putin expressed interest in the issue of restoring economic cooperation with the United States, and in the possibility of holding a meeting with China to discuss the Ukrainian issue.

One of the main outcomes of the meeting so far was Witkopf's announcement that Russia would release 74-year-old American prisoner Stephen Hubbard, who had been detained in the country for more than four years. Putin, Witkov and two translators sat around a large round table and discussed a wide range of issues, including Russia's willingness to help settle the war in Iran, the possibility of exporting Russian fertilizer to the United States, and Hubbard's release.

An American official previously told Ofoq News that the United States and Ukraine had made “tangible progress” during the talks that took place in Norway on Tuesday. The official explained that Ukraine “put forward new ideas and proposals that were discussed in detail,” noting that there is “strong consensus” between the two sides regarding the next steps.

The US official said: “The discussions addressed key elements of a comprehensive peace framework, including long-term security guarantees for Ukraine, an economic and post-war prosperity plan, and a broader European security architecture aimed at establishing lasting stability.” Ukraine and its allies reiterated Kiev's key red lines for any peace negotiations, including the need for future security guarantees - to ensure Russia does not invade the country again - and rejecting any demands to cede territory.

Russia demanded that Ukraine completely abandon the Donbass region located in eastern Ukraine, which is now mostly under Russian control. Moscow also called on Ukraine to significantly reduce the size of its army and pledge never to join NATO.

Zelensky said Tuesday: “We have clear ideas about how to reach peace, and we are united with our European partners in this endeavour. We want the Americans to convey these ideas to the Russians.”

Regarding the talks with the Ukrainian side, the US official added: “The teams are working very well together, and are united by a shared commitment to finding practical solutions to end the war,” which reflects a positive tone despite the deterioration of the public relationship between Zelensky and US President Donald Trump. The American official said: “The goal is to build on the progress achieved with Ukraine and Europe, discuss proposals with Russia, and pave the way towards direct trilateral negotiations and broader multilateral negotiations.”

In Russia, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, on Tuesday, took a less optimistic tone, indicating that Moscow would wait to see what Witkov would offer, but would not make "political concessions." According to the official Russian news agency TASS, Lavrov said that Moscow “does not expect a miracle,” and that Washington will remain - at best - a competitor to Russia.

A European official in Oslo told Ofoq News: “I think the problem does not lie in the presence of plans - or their absence - as much as it lies in pushing Russia to deal seriously with any plan.” Jared Kushner, Trump's son-in-law who also participated in the peace negotiations, is suffering from influenza and will join the meeting in Russia remotely.