Moscow – On Thursday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky urged a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin to negotiate the ongoing conflict, following discussions initiated by Donald Trump’s special envoy, Steve Witkoff, who met with Putin in Moscow.
Witkoff traveled to Moscow on August 6, 2025, for a three-hour conversation with Putin at the Kremlin, focusing on potential ceasefire terms in the Russia-Ukraine war. The meeting was perceived as a last diplomatic attempt by the U.S. to secure a halt to hostilities before impending sanctions were to take effect.
How did Trump describe the Moscow negotiations’ outcome?
President Donald Trump characterized Witkoff’s meeting with Putin as “productive,” stating that “great progress was made” during their discussions. The U.S. administration expressed cautious optimism about future negotiations, while emphasizing that sanctions against key Russian trading partners would proceed if the deadline was not met.
Why is Zelensky urging direct talks with Putin?
Following his phone call with President Trump, Zelensky noted that the U.S. leader indicated a willingness to meet with Putin “very soon,” with EU leaders also participating in discussions. “We in Ukraine have repeatedly said that finding real solutions can be truly effective at the level of leaders,” Zelensky asserted.
“Today is a day of numerous calls and contacts aimed at making real progress on the path to peace and ensuring Ukraine’s independence under any circumstances,” Zelensky tweeted on August 7, 2025. He listed several planned conversations, including with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, and mentioned engagements with national security advisors.
“The main thing is for Russia, which started this war, to take real steps to end its aggression,” Zelensky added.
When did Putin and Zelensky last meet in person?
The last in-person meeting between President Putin and President Zelensky occurred in December 2019 during the Normandy Format Summit in Paris, where discussions included efforts to mitigate conflict in eastern Ukraine’s Donbas region. Despite reaching some ceasefire agreements, the meeting did not resolve the ongoing hostilities, and there have been no subsequent face-to-face encounters since.
, reports 24brussels.
