US envoy Witkoff returns from Putin meeting with message for Trump on Ukraine

Kremlin says it is preparing for talks between Russian and US leaders

Russian President Vladimir Putin met US envoy Steve Witkoff to discuss proposals for a ceasefire in the Ukraine war. AP

Russia said on Friday it is preparing for direct talks between its President Vladimir Putin and US President Donald Trump over a 30-day ceasefire in Ukraine.

US envoy Steve Witkoff met Mr Putin in Moscow late on Thursday and will relay the Russian leader's views on a ceasefire to the White House, the Kremlin said.

“When Mr Witkoff brings all the information to President Trump, we will determine the timing of a conversation” between the two presidents, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said. “There are reasons to be cautiously optimistic.”

He confirmed that Mr Witkoff was given an audience, amid mixed messages from Moscow on its willingness to negotiate. Mr Putin's position on a ceasefire is that Russia is open to talks but does not want Ukrainian soldiers to gain a chance to relocate or resupply while the Kremlin believes it has them on the run.

US special envoy Steve Witkoff will brief President Donald Trump about his discussions with Russia's President Vladimir Putin in Moscow. AP

In a post on Truth Social, Mr Trump said there was a “very good chance” the war between Russia and Ukraine could end after “productive” discussions.

“We had very good and productive discussions with President Vladimir Putin of Russia yesterday, and there is a very good chance that this horrible, bloody war can finally come to an end,” Mr Trump said, adding that he had asked Mr Putin to spare the lives of “completely surrounded” Ukrainian troops in the Kursk region.

Speaking from the G7 meeting in Canada, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said that he would soon "reconvene" with Mr Witkoff to discuss next steps. "The President will have options available to him, and decisions will be made after that," he said.

Mr Rubio added that, regardless of Mr Putin saying he was open to the possibility of a ceasefire, "we're not going to make our foreign policy decisions on the basis of what a leader says at a press conference".

"This is going to play out the way things of this nature and calibre have traditionally and normally played out, and that is with the leaders of the countries involved speaking, not in front of the cameras, not in front of the media, but in these negotiations," he said.

On Friday, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said that Mr Trump had not yet spoken directly with the Russian President.

“Yesterday was a productive day for the United States of America and for the world in terms of peace – we have never been this close to peace,” Ms Leavitt told journalists.

Mr Putin also insisted on Thursday that any ceasefire should be the first stage in a plan to address the “initial reasons” for the crisis. Russia explained its 2022 invasion of Ukraine by saying its Nato-backed neighbour was threatening its security and persecuting Russian speakers. Western powers said this was a cover story for an imperialist land grab.

Confusion had surrounded Thursday's meeting in Moscow after a Putin aide, Yury Ushakov, said Russia's chosen mediator “is not Steve Witkoff”, and the envoy was reported to have swiftly left for Azerbaijan's capital Baku. The Kremlin's confirmation that the meeting took place keeps the high-wire negotiations on track for the time being.

“There is still much to be done, but the President has nevertheless identified with President Trump's position,” Mr Peskov said. He said there was an “understanding on all sides” that a direct conversation is needed.

The US has urged Russia to accept the 30-day ceasefire proposal that emerged from talks in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday. Diplomats have worked to get the US and Ukraine back around the table after Mr Trump's public row with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy last month.

US President Donald Trump said it would be 'disappointing' if Russia rejects a ceasefire deal. AFP

Mr Trump said Russia's statements on a ceasefire were “promising” but not complete. “We're going to see if Russia is there and, if not, it will be a very disappointing moment for the world,” he said.

Ukraine and its European allies have warned repeatedly against a US-Russia deal that cuts Kyiv out of a peace process. In June 2023, Kyiv said it would not negotiate with Russia unless Russia withdrew its armed forces. It repeated this position the following January.

Moscow's mayor reported drone attacks overnight in an apparent show of force by Ukraine.

Russia’s Defence Ministry said 28 Ukrainian drones were intercepted across six regions, including the capital. Ukraine has not commented on the Moscow attack.

Britain, one of the countries trying to keep US-Ukraine relations from collapsing, said a ceasefire would be a “first step” towards wider peace talks. Foreign Secretary David Lammy told British media that it would be “wrong for Putin to lay conditions”.

Jihan Abdalla contributed to this report from Washington and Willy Lowry contributed from Le Malbaie, Quebec