The key facts
- Talks between Putin and Witkoff are taking place on October 21 at the Constantine Palace in St. Petersburg
- The meeting is attended by Yuri Ushakov and Kirill Dmitriev; Jared Kushner did not come due to illness, according to Ushakov
- Witkoff arrived from Oslo, where he held consultations with Zelensky and European representatives
Meeting in St. Petersburg
On October 21, talks between Russian President Vladimir Putin and US presidential envoy Steve Witkoff are taking place at the Constantine Palace in St. Petersburg. The meeting is attended by presidential aide Yuri Ushakov and head of the Russian Direct Investment Fund Kirill Dmitriev.
Context of Witkoff's trip
Witkoff arrived in St. Petersburg from Oslo, where the day before he held consultations with Volodymyr Zelensky and European representatives. According to Life.ru, the American side intends to present Moscow with the proposals discussed in the Norwegian capital. The meeting began with Putin's question about the talks with Zelensky in Oslo.
Kushner's absence
Jared Kushner, who was also supposed to take part in the talks, did not come to St. Petersburg. As Ushakov explained earlier, the US president's representative canceled the trip due to illness.
Moscow's position
Earlier, according to Life.ru, Putin confirmed to Trump Russia's readiness for a diplomatic settlement of the conflict, while Moscow does not intend to abandon the stated goals and objectives of the special military operation. The Russian leader emphasized that possible agreements must ensure a long-term and sustainable peace, and also outlined Moscow's position regarding Kyiv's actions and the prospects for further talks.
