Kremlin Demands ‘Necessary Decisions’ from Ukraine as U.S. Envoy Witkoff Meets Putin
U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff meets Vladimir Putin in St. Petersburg to discuss ending the war in Ukraine as the Kremlin demands Kyiv make critical concessions.
POLICY WIRE — St. Petersburg, Russia — Kremlin officials signaled on Wednesday that a negotiated end to the war in Ukraine is theoretically possible, even as they insisted that Kyiv must make necessary decisions to achieve any progress. The statement followed a meeting in St. Petersburg between U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff and Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Russian state news agency TASS reported that officials warned the situation for Ukraine would deteriorate if those required decisions are not made. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov noted that Moscow intends to review the proposals brought by Witkoff, though he cautioned that the diplomatic process would be lengthy.
During the summit, Putin and Witkoff confirmed the release of Stephen Hubbard, a U.S. citizen who had been imprisoned in Russia for over four years. President Trump stated that the release occurred without a swap, attributing the development to the U.S. decision to block new sanctions against Moscow last week.
State media indicated that Russian officials discussed the possibility of a trilateral summit involving President Trump, Putin, and Chinese President Xi Jinping. While the White House has previously floated this concept, Ukrainian officials have expressed strong opposition, fearing they would be sidelined from negotiations regarding their own national sovereignty.
Video footage from the meeting showed Witkoff expressing a desire to resume trilateral talks between the U.S., Russia, and Ukraine. However, the Kremlin offered no indication of a shift in its stance, with officials reiterating that Russia’s core demands remain unchanged.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy told Fox News that he views direct trilateral talks between himself, Trump, and Putin as the most viable path forward. He explicitly rejected any resolution brokered solely by China, Russia, and the U.S., stating: “do not talk about us without us.”
Zelenskyy further emphasized that any final peace agreement would require formal approval from the Ukrainian parliament. Meanwhile, Secretary of State Marco Rubio confirmed that Witkoff held positive discussions with Zelenskyy in Oslo on Tuesday before heading to Russia to share those insights.
In Oslo, Zelenskyy expressed gratitude for the restoration of U.S. intelligence sharing regarding Russian missile strikes, which he described as vital for civilian safety. He noted, however, that access to the Starshield satellite network remains limited, though he expects Rubio to facilitate full restoration.
Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre suggested that the diplomatic climate may be shifting, telling broadcaster NRK that Russia appears to be seeking new opportunities for dialogue. Witkoff is scheduled to return to Oslo for further consultations with European leaders.
The diplomatic push follows a period of tension between Kyiv and Washington, exacerbated by Trump’s criticism of Ukraine’s strikes on Russian oil infrastructure. Despite a previously announced energy ceasefire, both nations have continued to target energy sites, and Russia confirmed on Wednesday that it has dispatched the first shipment of diesel fuel to the U.S. as part of an October 10 agreement.
Reporting by Policy-Wire (PW)
