On Friday, President Vladimir Putin engaged in a series of phone calls with the leaders of China, India, Belarus, Kazakhstan, and Uzbekistan to update them on his recent discussions with Steve Witkoff, the special envoy of U.S. President Donald Trump.
During the conversation, Chinese President Xi Jinping expressed Beijing’s support for ongoing U.S.-Russia discussions concerning Ukraine, emphasizing that they “will always… encourage peace and dialogue,” while noting that “complex issues do not have straightforward solutions,” as reported by Chinese state media.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi shared on X that he had a “very good and comprehensive discussion” with his “friend” Putin regarding “the recent developments in Ukraine.” He mentioned their review of the progress in bilateral relations, emphasizing their “Special and Privileged Strategic Partnership.” Modi confirmed previous reports that Putin plans to visit India later this year.
Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko also talked with Putin about U.S. peace proposals and the potential for a Trump-Putin summit, which Moscow suggested could occur “in the coming days.” However, U.S. officials have yet to verify these plans.
Trump had given Russia until Friday to cease hostilities or face new sanctions and “secondary tariffs” on its major trading partners. He stated that “great progress was made” during Witkoff’s meeting in Moscow. Nonetheless, when asked on Thursday if his deadline for Putin to agree to a ceasefire still stood, Trump replied, “It’s going to be up to him; we’ll see what he has to say.”
The U.S. president expressed his “very disappointed” feelings toward Putin, leaving uncertainty about whether he would maintain his increasingly hardline stance on Russia while pushing for a swift conclusion to the conflict in Ukraine.
Additionally, on Friday, Putin conversed with Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev and Kazakh President Kasym-Jomart Tokayev, with the Kremlin noting that both Central Asian leaders supported efforts toward a political and diplomatic resolution to the war. Their offices confirmed the talks but did not specify any particular peace plan.
Putin’s outreach followed a call with South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, during which the Russian leader briefed him on peace negotiations. Ramaphosa expressed his “full support for peace initiatives aimed at concluding the war and fostering lasting peace between Russia and Ukraine,” according to a summary of their exchange.
Witkoff, who serves as Special Envoy to the Middle East, has made multiple trips to Russia since Trump assumed office in January, with his last visit occurring in April when he met with Putin to discuss renewing direct peace talks between Ukraine and Russia.
This latest visit coincided with Trump’s announcement of a new 25% tariff on Indian goods due to New Delhi’s ongoing purchases of Russian oil. Both India and China have emerged as significant purchasers of Russian crude oil since 2022.
While officials in both Moscow and Washington have recently shown cautious optimism about advancements in Ukrainian peace negotiations, the specifics of the meeting between Putin and Witkoff remain unclear, and there is little indication that the Kremlin leader is prepared to abandon his maximalist terms for concluding the war against Ukraine.
Just a week prior, Putin told reporters that the conditions for peace he presented a year ago remain mostly the same, which include Ukraine’s renunciation of occupied territories, a commitment to neutrality, limitations on its military size, and a change of regime in Kyiv.
