Steve Witkoff, the special envoy of U.S. President Donald Trump, is set to visit Russia later this week, according to a statement from an aide to Russian President Vladimir Putin reported by the Interfax news agency on Tuesday.
Yuri Ushakov, when questioned about Witkoff’s upcoming trips, mentioned, “We are expecting him.” Witkoff has made several visits to Russia since Trump took office.
Ushakov did not disclose the specific date of Witkoff’s arrival or confirm whether he would meet with Putin as he has during past visits.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt later affirmed that Witkoff’s trip would involve continuing discussions aimed at resolving the conflict in Ukraine.
Witkoff’s most recent visit to Russia occurred on April 11, when he had discussions with Putin and Kirill Dmitriev, head of the Russian Direct Investment Fund, in St. Petersburg. Following these conversations, the Kremlin indicated that the two discussed “various aspects of the Ukrainian settlement,” though details were not provided.
In March, after another meeting, Witkoff, a close ally of Trump who has collaborated with him in real estate, described Putin as a “great leader” and “not a bad guy.”
In February, Witkoff was involved in efforts to negotiate the release of Marc Fogel, an American educator imprisoned in Russia on drug charges, in exchange for Alexander Vinnik, a Russian cryptocurrency figure.
Last week, Trump expressed his willingness to withdraw from negotiations aimed at ending the war in Ukraine if Moscow and Kyiv do not demonstrate a commitment to making progress toward peace soon.
In response to a question on Monday regarding Trump’s warning, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov stated that he preferred not to discuss “the time frame” for a potential ceasefire agreement but reiterated that “President Putin and the Russian side remain open to seeking a peaceful resolution.”
The U.S. president has been advocating for both parties to agree to a ceasefire but has thus far not succeeded in securing significant concessions from the Kremlin, despite recent conversations with Putin and multiple trips to Russia by Witkoff.
