Russian President Vladimir V. Putin held discussions with U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff in Moscow late Thursday, and is now anticipating a conversation with President Trump regarding a potential cease-fire in Ukraine, as stated by the Kremlin.
On Friday, Dmitri S. Peskov, the Kremlin spokesperson, informed reporters that there was “certainly” a reason for “cautious optimism” concerning a resolution to the conflict, following a series of diplomatic exchanges in recent days. This sentiment mirrored the optimistic comments shared by Michael Waltz, Mr. Trump’s national security adviser, late Thursday.
Mr. Peskov’s remarks suggest that Russia is keen to continue negotiations with the United States regarding Ukraine.
Prior to his meeting with Mr. Witkoff on Thursday, Mr. Putin indicated that he was not in a hurry to agree to the 30-day truce proposal put forth by Ukraine and the United States earlier that week. At a news conference, Mr. Putin expressed openness to the idea but indicated he would push for discussions on various issues — such as Western arms supplies to Ukraine — that might delay or hinder a deal.
Mr. Peskov confirmed on Friday that Mr. Witkoff had “provided additional information to the Russian side” and that Mr. Putin “conveyed information and further signals for President Trump.”
However, Mr. Peskov suggested that the results of the ongoing diplomatic exchanges would only become apparent after Mr. Witkoff had debriefed Mr. Trump and the two leaders had engaged in a phone conversation. He mentioned that the timing of a Trump-Putin call had yet to be established, the last known conversation occurring on February 12.
“Once Mr. Witkoff relays all the information he gathered in Moscow to his head of state — we will determine the timing for the conversation afterward,” Mr. Peskov stated. “There is a mutual understanding that such a discussion is necessary.”
Mr. Peskov’s statements further indicate that Mr. Putin is attempting to balance a wish to avoid troubling Mr. Trump with his efforts to extract broad concessions from both the West and Ukraine. While Mr. Trump has expressed a desire to end the conflict swiftly, Mr. Putin seems confident about having the upper hand in time, believing that an unconditional cease-fire would primarily favor Ukraine.
There was no immediate response from Mr. Witkoff or the broader Trump administration regarding the meeting with Mr. Putin. Mr. Witkoff, who is officially the president’s envoy to the Middle East, has also assumed a crucial role as a mediator with Russia — having spent three hours with Mr. Putin last month as he wrapped up a prisoner exchange between the U.S. and Russia.
Ukraine has already expressed its willingness to back the U.S.-supported cease-fire proposal, provided that Russia does the same. On Thursday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky remarked that Mr. Putin, during his news conference, had laid out so many conditions that “nothing will work out at all or that it will take an extended time to resolve.”
Nevertheless, Mr. Waltz, the U.S. national security adviser, later expressed on Fox News that the White House held “some cautious optimism” about the potential for a cease-fire. He mentioned that Mr. Witkoff was “bringing back information for us to assess and for President Trump to determine the next steps.”
Commenting on Mr. Putin’s news conference on Thursday, Mr. Waltz noted, “Naturally, both sides will have their demands, and compromises will need to be made by both parties.”
