Kremlin Calls Talks With Special Envoy Witkoff ‘Constructive’

A Kremlin aide says talks between President Putin and President Trump’s special envoy, Steve Witkoff, were “constructive” but ended without any announced agreement to avoid new sanctions.“The situation now is that our president has full information,” Yury Ushakov said of the meeting, according to state media outlet RIA. He added that the Kremlin had received “signals from Trump.”The meeting lasted almost three hours and Mr. Witkoff left without speaking to the press. Mr. Ushakov said that Mr. Witkoff would need to discuss the meeting with Mr. Trump before he would release any more information.“Let’s see when Witkoff can report on the conversation that took place today to Trump,” Mr. Ushakov said, according to Sky News. “After that, obviously, we will be able to supplement my comments now with something more substantial.”A special envoy of the Russian president, Kirill Dmitriev, was involved with the talks. “Constructive US-Russia dialogue continues and is critical for global security and peace,” Mr. Dmitriev posted on X after the meeting.Earlier he stated: “Dialogue will prevail.”The talks came after Mr. Trump shortened a deadline for Russia to agree to a cease-fire with Ukraine. That deadline is Friday.Mr. Trump threatened to level new sanctions and 100 percent secondary tariffs against any country that continues to trade with Russia. That could hurt India, which continues to purchase Russian oil. Mr. Trump signed an order that will place an additional 25 percent tariff on India, raising tariffs on Indian imports to 50 percent. The order doesn’t go into effect for 21 days, giving time for India to negotiate.Mr. Trump has made it clear in recent weeks that he has lost patience with Mr. Putin when it comes to the war in Ukraine. The two have had multiple calls about the situation but there has been no movement toward a pause in the violence. Mr. Trump says he is “very disappointed in Putin.”“We just don’t see any progress being made,” Mr. Trump adds. “If you know what the answer is going to be, why wait?”Mr. Trump said last week that he ordered two nuclear submarines to move to “appropriate regions” near Russia because of “highly provocative” statements by the deputy chairman of Russia’s security council, Dmitry Medvedev.Mr. Medvedev, who served as Russia’s president between 2008 and 2012, posted on X: “Trump’s playing the ultimatum game with Russia: 50 days or 10. … He should remember 2 things: 1. Russia isn’t Israel or even Iran. 2. Each new ultimatum is a threat and a step towards war. Not between Russia and Ukraine, but with his own country.”Mr. Medvedev was referring to Mr. Trump shortening the cease-fire deadline.On Monday, spokesman Dmitry Peskov gave the Kremlin’s first official reaction to Mr. Trump. Mr. Peskov says the American submarines were already deployed so their movement really doesn’t matter.

Kremlin Calls Talks With Special Envoy Witkoff ‘Constructive’

Kremlin Calls Talks With Special Envoy Witkoff ‘Constructive’

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