Witkoff meets Putin in St. Petersburg to push Ukraine peace talks

U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff met with Russian President Vladimir Putin in St. Petersburg on Wednesday to discuss ending Russia's invasion of Ukraine, following a meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Oslo the previous day. The three-hour talks, which included Russian officials and a video link with Jared Kushner, focused on resuming trilateral U.S.-Russia-Ukraine negotiations. Witkoff described "some degree of momentum," while Putin thanked him for peace efforts and discussed restoring economic ties and using Moscow's relationship with Iran to help resolve conflicts. No immediate breakthrough was announced, as Russia and Ukraine remain far apart on terms. Russia released a retired American teacher as a goodwill gesture, while overnight Russian attacks killed five people in Ukraine. Trump pressed Zelenskyy to make a deal, warning of "a very bad thing" if no agreement is reached.