US President Donald Trump’s special envoy, Steve Witkoff, has arrived in St. Petersburg, Russia, for talks with President Vladimir Putin aimed at advancing efforts to end the war in Ukraine.
Witkoff arrived at Pulkovo Airport on Wednesday, October 21, 2026, following a meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Norway on Tuesday.
Kremlin envoy Kirill Dmitriev received him at the airport, according to photographs seen by CNN.
Russian state news agency TASS reported that the meeting between Witkoff and Putin was scheduled for the first half of Wednesday.
The visit comes as Washington seeks to build on discussions with Ukraine and its European allies and establish a path towards broader negotiations with Moscow.
A US official told CNN that Washington and Kyiv had made “meaningful progress” during Tuesday’s discussions in Norway.
According to the official, Ukraine presented new ideas and proposals, which both sides examined in detail. The official added that the two countries were now in “strong alignment” on the next steps.
The discussions covered key elements of a proposed peace framework, including long-term security guarantees for Ukraine, post-war economic recovery and a broader European security arrangement intended to promote lasting stability.
However, Ukraine and its allies have maintained that any peace agreement must include security guarantees for Kyiv and must not require the country to surrender territory.
“We have some clear ideas on how to get to peace, and we are united with our European partners in this effort. And we want the Americans to take these ideas to the Russians,” Zelensky said on Tuesday.
Russia maintains territorial and military demands
Moscow has demanded that Ukraine surrender the entire eastern Donbas region, much of which is under Russian control. Russia has also called for significant reductions in Ukraine’s military and a commitment that Kyiv will not join NATO.
These demands remain major obstacles to reaching a peace agreement, as Ukraine continues to reject territorial concessions.
The US official said the negotiating teams were working closely together, expressing confidence that practical solutions could be found to end the conflict.
The official added that Witkoff’s visit was intended to build on progress made with Ukraine and European partners, discuss their proposals with Russia and create a pathway towards direct trilateral and broader multilateral negotiations.
Jared Kushner, Trump’s son-in-law who has also participated in the peace efforts, will join the meeting remotely because he has the flu, according to the report.
The latest diplomatic push comes amid continued disagreement between Russia and Ukraine over the terms of a possible settlement.
It remains unclear whether Witkoff’s meeting with Putin will produce concrete progress towards a ceasefire or a comprehensive peace agreement.
