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Ukrainian President Voldymi Zelensky said in his evening speech on Wednesday that Russia appears to be leaning towards a ceasefire after the visit of special envoy Steve Witkov, who visited Moscow.
“The pressure on them works. But the main thing is that they don’t deceive the details. It’s not the US or the US,” he said.
These comments come after Zelensky called with his US Donald Trump.
“Ukraine will definitely protect its independence. We all need lasting and reliable peace. Russia must end the war that began in itself,” Zelensky said in a post on X, adding that European leaders took part in the phone without specifying either.
Speaking about his speech with Putin in Moscow, Trump claimed that in his true social platform post he was called “very productive” and that “great progress has been made” without detail.
“Everyone agrees that this war must come to an end. We will work towards it in the next few days and weeks. Thank you for paying attention to this issue!” he posted.
However, White House officials cited by Reuters news agency said the meeting was going well and “Russians want to continue actively,” but the secondary sanctions Trump threatened to impose on Russia were still expected to be implemented on Friday.
Witkov in Moscow
Earlier on Wednesday, Putin held talks with Trump envoy Steve Witkov in Moscow just days before the White House revised deadline for Russia to reach a peace deal with Ukraine or face serious economic punishment.
Trump’s deadline for Putin to settle in Ukraine ended on Friday, revised from the first 50 days he set.
Washington is threatening “serious tariffs” and other economic penalties if the fighting doesn’t stop.
But Trump himself doubts the effectiveness of the sanctions, and Russia has proven “pretty good to avoid them.”
The Kremlin claims that international sanctions have been imposed since the full-scale invasion had limited impact.
However, Ukraine claims that sanctions are causing a blow to Moscow’s war machinery, and hopes that Western allies will strengthen them.
Trump has also expressed an increase in frustration with Putin over Russia’s escalating strikes in Ukraine’s private regions.
The meeting between Putin and Witkov lasted about three hours.
Putin’s foreign affairs adviser Yuri Ushakov said Putin and Witkov had “useful and constructive conversations” focusing on the Ukrainian war and “the prospect of possible strategic cooperation between the US and Russia.”
Before these consultations, Witkov took a walk in Zaryadie Park, near the Kremlin, with Kiril Dmitriev, the Russian President’s envoy for investment and economic cooperation.
Dmitrievi said on social media platform X that “dialogue wins.”
Dmitriev has played a key role in three direct consultations between Istanbul’s Russia and Ukraine delegations in recent months, as well as discussions with Russian and US officials.
These negotiations did not advance by ending the three-year war after Russia, but encouraged the exchange of prisoners of war between the two.
Additional sources •AP
