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Washington’s envoy Steve Witkoff arrived in Saint Petersburg early Wednesday for talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin, following what United States Secretary of State Marco Rubio described as “positive” talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
Witkoff’s visit is part of US efforts to ease tensions between Washington and Kyiv over the war in Ukraine and push forward negotiations with Russia.
After meeting Witkoff in Oslo, Zelensky thanked Washington on Tuesday for resuming intelligence sharing on Russian attacks. He said the information was particularly important for warning civilians about incoming ballistic missile strikes.
“We are thankful that intelligence works,” Zelensky told reporters in Oslo.
The positive tone came after several days of tensions between Kyiv and Washington. Trump recently reached a diesel supply agreement with Putin and called for Zelensky to be replaced after Ukraine rejected a request to halt attacks on Russian oil refineries.
Rubio, speaking during a visit to India, said Witkoff would take the ideas from his meeting with Zelensky to Russia in an effort to determine whether further progress could be made.
“He’ll now, armed with those ideas, be able to go to Saint Petersburg and share them with the Russian side — and let’s see if we can make some progress,” Rubio said.
A US official said Witkoff’s meeting with Putin on Wednesday would also involve Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner, who would participate virtually.
Witkoff was welcomed at Pulkovo Airport in Saint Petersburg by Kremlin adviser for international economic cooperation Kirill Dmitriev, according to reports.
Trump said on Tuesday that he had asked Putin to release Stephen Hubbard, an American who was captured by Russian forces years ago in Ukraine. It was unclear whether the issue would be raised during Witkoff’s meeting with Putin.
Trump has continued to pressure Zelensky to reach an agreement with Russia, arguing that Kyiv needs to accept a deal as Moscow intensifies its attacks ahead of winter.
The US president, who called for Zelensky’s resignation last week, also criticised the Ukrainian leader for rejecting terms he claimed to have offered during their contentious Oval Office meeting in February 2025.
Tensions escalated further after Trump eased sanctions targeting Russia’s war economy. Zelensky subsequently accused Trump of weakening Ukraine’s position and claimed Washington was withholding critical intelligence and delaying deliveries of interceptor missiles.
Ukraine has also reported slower speeds on Starshield, the US military satellite communications system used by its forces for battlefield communications and strikes against Russian-occupied areas.
Trump denied ordering any reduction in Starshield speeds after Elon Musk, whose company SpaceX operates the satellite network, said such a decision could only have come from the White House.
Rubio said Washington was not aware in advance of the reported slowdown, insisting that Trump was not involved in decisions concerning Starlink or Starshield. The Wall Street Journal later reported that Musk had ordered the reduction in speeds on the military version of Starlink.
Witkoff’s visit comes after intensive diplomatic efforts in Washington, Kyiv and other Western capitals to ease tensions.
Zelensky told US senators on Monday that the Pentagon was delaying the delivery of missiles purchased by European countries because the shipments were awaiting approval from US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth.
Several European countries had offered to transfer Patriot interceptor missiles from their own supplies to Ukraine but were waiting for US approval to proceed, according to Zelensky.
Trump, whose Republican Party faces difficult midterm elections as fuel prices rise, has accused Zelensky of not doing enough to end the war.
He has also said he could meet Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping in China next month to discuss nuclear disarmament, with the Ukraine war potentially included in the discussions.
The prospect has raised concerns in Kyiv that Ukraine could be excluded from talks about its own future.
Zelensky insisted that Ukraine must be represented in any negotiations concerning the country’s future, arguing that decisions affecting Ukraine cannot be made without Ukrainian participation.
