U.S. President Donald Trump’s special envoy, Steve Witkoff, is set to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow on Thursday, Witkoff confirmed in an interview on Wednesday.
Speaking to CNBC, Witkoff said the initiative for the meeting came from the Russian side, describing it as a significant signal from Moscow amid ongoing diplomatic efforts related to the war in Ukraine.
“We need to go and meet him on Thursday,” Witkoff said, referring to President Putin.
Last week, the Kremlin announced preparations to host Witkoff and Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner, in Moscow for potential peace talks on Ukraine, although no specific dates were confirmed at the time.
Meanwhile, Ukraine’s chief negotiator, Rustem Umerov, stated last week that talks with U.S. officials on ending the nearly four-year war with Russia will continue this week on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.
The planned Moscow meeting comes as intensified diplomatic efforts are underway, with Washington seeking to explore possible pathways toward ending the conflict, while maintaining coordination with Kyiv and its European allies.
