The key facts
- The Putin-Witkoff meeting began on October 21 at the Constantine Palace in St. Petersburg
- The meeting is attended by Maxim Oreshkin and, as confirmed by Ushakov, Kirill Dmitriev
- The main topic is the settlement in Ukraine; Kushner did not come due to illness
Meeting at the Constantine Palace
US President's special envoy Steve Witkoff arrived at the Constantine Palace in St. Petersburg for talks with Vladimir Putin. The meeting began on the morning of October 21, as previously confirmed by Russian presidential aide Yuri Ushakov, who said that Putin would receive the American representative in the first half of the day, and the Constantine Palace was chosen as the venue. According to him, the meeting had been prepared for several days.
Composition of participants
According to journalist Alexander Yunashev, Deputy Head of the Presidential Administration of the Russian Federation Maxim Oreshkin, who oversees economic matters, is also taking part in the meeting. Yunashev suggested in his Telegram channel that Oreshkin's presence may indicate the parties' intention to address not only political topics but also the prospects of economic cooperation between Russia and the US. Ushakov also confirmed the expected participation of the Russian President's special representative for investment and economic cooperation, Kirill Dmitriev.
Topic of the talks and context
According to Ushakov, the main topic of the talks will be resolving the conflict in Ukraine. Jared Kushner, who also represents the American side in diplomatic contacts, did not come to St. Petersburg due to illness. Witkoff arrived in Russia after consultations with Volodymyr Zelensky and European representatives in Oslo. Witkoff's motorcade was caught on video on the way to the talks.
