Witkoff Arrives in Russia to Meet Putin as Zelenskyy Presses for a Swift End to the War

US special envoy Steve Witkoff has arrived in Saint Petersburg for a scheduled meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, meanwhile, called for a swift end to the war and urged the United States and European allies to help move peace efforts forward.

Ahead of the meeting, Zelenskyy stressed the human cost of the conflict. “Of course, we are not losing this war. But we are losing people,” he said. “Because of the Russian attacks, we’re losing people and time.”

He said children, and indeed all Ukrainians, were being denied a real life and childhood, which is why the war must end “as quickly as possible.” He praised the resilience of Ukrainian soldiers and said he hoped international partners would help bring the fighting to a close.

He has also called for a possible trilateral summit involving Ukraine, the United States and Russia to take up key issues and push negotiations ahead. Kyiv and its European partners are preparing proposals for Moscow, including arrangements for security guarantees.

SECURITY GUARANTEES AND THE ENERGY TRUCE

Speaking at a joint press conference in Oslo with Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre and Finnish President Alexander Stubb, Zelenskyy said the US had again stressed that security guarantees for Ukraine must be strong.

“I’m thankful for the American side for underlining again that they have to be strong,” he said. Witkoff, he added, would share the relevant documents with Russian officials, and Ukraine would assess the feedback afterwards.

He welcomed the resumption of an early warning system that alerts Ukraine to incoming Russian ballistic missile attacks, calling it important for protecting the population. He described a phone call with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio as constructive, covering sensitive subjects including Starlink, ballistic missile interceptors and intelligence cooperation.

On a proposed energy ceasefire, Zelenskyy said Ukraine backed the US initiative and offered to stop targeting sensitive Russian energy infrastructure if Moscow ended attacks on Ukrainian energy facilities. Russia, he said, has not accepted the proposal.

TRUMP: ‘ZELENSKYY HAS TO WANT TO SETTLE’

US President Donald Trump said Kyiv has to be willing to negotiate. “Ukraine has to want to settle this war. Zelenskyy has to want to settle this war,” he told reporters at the Oval Office, warning that failing to do so could have serious consequences. He also said Russia wanted to reach an agreement even as it continued to advance on the battlefield.

With inputs from ANI