White House confirms US envoy Steve Witkoff and Vladimir Putin held four-hour meeting on Ukraine conflict

Talks between Russian President Vladimir Putin and US special envoy Steve Witkoff that focused on settling the Ukraine conflict have reportedly lasted over four hours as the two parties try to find a path forward.

The Kremlin posted a photo on its website of the two men shaking hands, saying the meeting had taken place.

“The theme of the meeting - aspects of a Ukrainian settlement,” it said.

The meeting has advanced the possibility for a call between Russian President Vladimir Putin and U.S. President Donald Trump after the encouraging meeting in St. Petersburg, the Kremlin said Friday.

The gathering was also attended by Russian presidential aide Yuri Ushakov and Kirill Dmitriev, head of the Russian Direct Investment Fund and the president’s special representative for foreign investment.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told journalists that the beginning of the meeting was “businesslike.”

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed the meeting and Witkoff had been sent to Russia to “have direct communications with the Kremlin and with Vladimir Putin.”

“As these negotiations are ongoing, I obviously will not get ahead of the president, or his team but I think the president has been quite clear that he’s been continually frustrated with both sides of this conflict, and he wants to see this fighting end, and he wants the war to end,” Ms Leavitt told the Washington press.

“This is another step in the negotiating process towards a ceasefire and an ultimate peace deal in Russia and Ukraine.”

Interfax news agency said Witkoff, US President Donald Trump’s envoy for the Middle East who is increasingly involved in Russian affairs, had left the site of the talks at the presidential library in St Petersburg.

Dmitriev called the talks with Witkoff “productive” in a post on X.

with AAP.