US envoy Witkoff meets with Putin in effort to advance proposals to end war in Ukraine
CNN, POOL, NASDAQ, X , @STARLINK, SPACEX, POLICE OF CHERNIHIV, STATE EMERGENCY SERVICE OF UKRAINE, @ZELENSKYYUA, UKRAINIAN PRESIDENCY VIA YOUTUBE, UKRAINIAN PRESIDENCY, X / @STARLINK, X / @ZelenskyyUa
By Lauren Kent, Arina Porkhovnik, CNN
(CNN) — US special envoy Steve Witkoff held talks on Wednesday with Russian President Vladimir Putin aimed at advancing proposals to end to the war in Ukraine and create a pathway to broader negotiations.
The talks on Wednesday morning in St. Petersburg came off the back of Witkoff’s Tuesday summit with Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky in Norway. In video of the beginning of the three-hour meeting with Putin, Witkoff said discussing the outcomes of that “productive” Oslo summit was on the agenda.
“I think there’s some degree of momentum, and I hope that this today can be another step forward in the peace process and discussing how we resolve the Ukrainian conflict,” the Trump administration envoy said.
Witkoff implored Putin to consider resuming trilateral Russia-US-Ukraine talks, where technical issues could be discussed, he said in the meeting. Putin expressed interest in the topic of restoring economic cooperation with the United States and the possibility of a meeting with China to discuss Ukraine.
A key outcome of the meeting was Witkoff announcing that Russia has released 74-year-old American prisoner Stephen Hubbard, who has been detained in the country for more than four years.
Putin, Witkoff and translators sat around a large round table as they discussed a wide range of issues including Russia’s willingness to help resolve the war in Iran, potential Russian fertilizer exports to the US and the release of Hubbard. The meeting continued behind closed doors, and Jared Kushner, Trump’s son-in-law who has also been involved in the peace negotiations, joined remotely given he has the flu.
The US and Ukraine made “meaningful progress” in the Norway talks on Tuesday, a US official previously told CNN. Ukraine “brought forward new ideas and proposals, which were discussed in detail,” and the two sides are now in “strong alignment” on what the next steps will be, the official said.
“Discussions covered key elements of a comprehensive peace framework, including long-term security guarantees for Ukraine, a post-war economic and prosperity plan, and a broader European security architecture designed to create lasting stability,” the US official said.
Ukraine and its allies reiterated the key red lines set by Kyiv for any peace negotiations, including the need for future security guarantees – to ensure Russia doesn’t invade again – and a rejection of any demands to give up territory.
Russia has demanded that Ukraine gives up the entire eastern Ukrainian Donbas region, which is now mostly under Russian occupation. Moscow has also called for Ukraine to dramatically reduce the size of its military and pledge to never join NATO.
“We have some clear ideas on how to get to peace, and we are united with our European partners in this effort. And we want the Americans to take these ideas to the Russians,” Zelensky said on Tuesday. “Let’s see what Putin has to say.”
“Much depends on whether the American side will hear something new from Russia today – about peace, rather than the continuation of the war,” Zelensky added on Wednesday, following another meeting with Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre.
Zelensky said that Ukraine also wants trilateral negotiations involving Trump, Putin and himself, but the process would be “better with Europeans.”
“I always said that we are open to negotiate in any format, any topics, but don’t speak about us without us, please,” he told Fox News on Wednesday, balking at the prospect of any Russia-China-US negotiations.
The Kremlin has previously shut down the idea of trilateral negotiations, apart from a previous invitation for Zelensky to come to Moscow – something viewed as unviable by the other sides.
Regarding the Norway talks with the Ukrainian side, the US official added: “The teams are working exceptionally well together, with a shared commitment to finding practical solutions to end the war,” striking a positive tone despite the souring public relationship between Zelensky and US President Donald Trump.
“The goal is to build on the progress made with Ukraine and Europe, discuss the proposals with Russia, and create a pathway toward direct trilateral and broader multilateral negotiations,” the US official said.
Meanwhile in Russia, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on Tuesday struck a less upbeat tone, saying that Moscow will see what Witkoff brings to the table but will not make “political concessions.” Lavrov said that Moscow does “not expect a miracle” and Washington will remain a rival to Russia “at best,” according to Russian state media TASS.
A European official in Oslo told CNN: “I think plans – or lack of – isn’t as much of a problem as getting Russia to treat any plan seriously.”
This is a developing story and will be updated.
The-CNN-Wire
™ & © 2026 Cable News Network, Inc., a Warner Bros. Discovery Company. All rights reserved.
CNN’s Anna Chernova, Ivana Kottasová, Kevin Liptak, Nick Paton Walsh and Kosta Gak contributed to this report.
