Witkoff meets Putin in St. Petersburg to discuss Ukraine war

US special envoy Steve Witkoff has arrived in St. Petersburg, Russia, for talks with President Vladimir Putin, with the war against Ukraine as the main topic. Witkoff was met at Pulkovo Airport by Kirill Dmitriev, Putin's special representative for investment and economic cooperation, and together they traveled to the Konstantinovsky Palace. Putin's aide Yuri Ushakov confirmed the talks are planned and focus on the Ukrainian conflict, with Dmitriev also participating. US envoy Jared Kushner did not attend due to illness. The meeting follows Tuesday's negotiations in Oslo involving Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre, Finnish President Alexander Stubb, and US representatives Witkoff and Kushner, where security, energy, and economic issues related to the war were discussed.