MOSCOW, Russia – A high-stakes meeting is under way at the Kremlin between Russian President Vladimir Putin and US envoy Steve Witkoff, according to Russian state media, as pressure mounts on Moscow to agree to a ceasefire in Ukraine.
Witkoff arrived in Moscow on Wednesday, just days before US President Donald Trump’s deadline for Russia to take concrete steps toward ending its war in Ukraine.
Trump has warned of sweeping sanctions — including secondary sanctions targeting nations that trade with Russia — if the Kremlin fails to comply.
The renewed diplomatic push comes amid growing Western frustration over the prolonged war, now in its fourth year.
Despite the threat of tougher penalties, Russia has continued its aerial bombardments of Ukrainian cities, dashing hopes of a breakthrough before Friday’s ceasefire ultimatum.
Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky welcomed Trump’s stance, saying Russia would only consider peace when its economic lifelines begin to collapse.
“There’s no military sense in this attack. It’s just cruelty to scare people,” Zelensky said on Wednesday after a Russian strike on a Zaporizhzhia holiday camp killed two and injured 12 others.
He also praised a fresh US commitment of $200 million in military aid, approved just a day earlier following a phone call with Trump.
The aid package includes defence systems and expanded drone production, which has been central to Ukraine’s recent attacks on Russian oil refineries and energy infrastructure.
Meanwhile, the toll from last week’s deadly missile strike on Kyiv rose to 32 after one more victim succumbed to injuries, making it the capital’s deadliest attack since the war began.
Three rounds of ceasefire talks hosted in Istanbul have so far failed to yield any progress.
Moscow’s demands remain unacceptable to both Kyiv and its Western allies, and the Kremlin has repeatedly refused requests for a direct meeting between Zelensky and Putin.
Despite the dim outlook for a negotiated peace, the ongoing dialogue between the US and Russia — now symbolised by Witkoff’s rare Kremlin visit — marks a significant moment in efforts to end one of Europe’s most devastating conflicts in recent history.
