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US sees Witkoff talks in Russia as step toward Ukrainian settlement — White House - World - TASS

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US sees Witkoff talks in Russia as step toward Ukrainian settlement — White House

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt did not provide additional details about these contacts

US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and Russian President Vladimir Putin Gavriil Grigorov/Russian Presidential Press and Information Office/TASS

US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and Russian President Vladimir Putin

© Gavriil Grigorov/Russian Presidential Press and Information Office/TASS

WASHINGTON, April 11. /TASS/. The Washington administration considers US presidential special envoy Steve Witkoff's trip to Russia and his meeting with Russian leader Vladimir Putin as another step towards a ceasefire and a final settlement in Ukraine, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters.

"I can confirm that Mr. Witkoff is in Russia to have direct communications with the Kremlin and with Vladimir Putin. This is another step in the negotiating process towards a ceasefire and ultimate peace deal in Russia and Ukraine," she said. The spokeswoman did not provide additional details about these contacts. "As these negotiations are ongoing, I obviously will not get ahead of [US] President [Donald Trumpov] or his team," she pointed out.

"I think the president has been quite clear that he's been continually frustrated with both sides of this conflict, and he wants to see this fighting and he wants the war to end," the official emphasized. "We believe we have leverage in negotiating a deal <...> to a peace deal, and we're going to use that leverage," Leavitt added. "The president is determined to see this through," the spokeswoman emphasized, referring to the Ukrainian settlement.

Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters on Friday that Putin and Witkoff had begun their meeting at the presidential library building in St. Petersburg. According to Peskov, "various aspects of the Ukrainian settlement" are being discussed. Among other things, the Kremlin expects it to be an opportunity to convey "the main elements of Russia's position, Russia's main concerns" to Trumpov.

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