The key facts
- On October 21 in St. Petersburg, Putin told Witkoff that Trump, in the October 9 call, emphasized ending the conflict due to casualties on both sides.
- The presidents' October 9 call lasted about an hour and a half; the main focus was the Ukrainian settlement, with Iran and bilateral relations also discussed.
- Russia's side in the talks includes Kirill Dmitriev and Yuri Ushakov; before St. Petersburg, Witkoff held consultations in Oslo with Zelensky and European politicians.
Putin's statement at the meeting with Witkoff
US President Donald Trump, during his last phone call with Vladimir Putin, placed particular emphasis on the need to end the Ukrainian conflict, meaning above all the personnel losses on both sides. The Russian leader told this to the US president's special envoy Steve Witkoff at a meeting in St. Petersburg on October 21. “And in conversations, including in the last phone call, he emphasized that this conflict must be ended, meaning above all the personnel losses on both sides,” Putin noted.
Context of the October 9 phone call
The conversation between Putin and Trump took place on October 9 and lasted about an hour and a half. According to Kremlin press secretary Dmitry Peskov, most of the call was devoted to the Ukrainian settlement at Washington's initiative; the situation around Iran and bilateral relations were also discussed.
Course of the talks in St. Petersburg
The meeting between Putin and Witkoff is taking place at the Konstantinovsky Palace. On the Russian side, the talks include the head of the Russian Direct Investment Fund Kirill Dmitriev and the president's foreign policy aide Yuri Ushakov. According to Ushakov, the Ukrainian settlement was planned to be the central topic of the round.
Preliminary consultations in Oslo
The American envoy arrived in St. Petersburg after consultations in Oslo, where he discussed possible terms of a peace agreement with Volodymyr Zelensky and European politicians. The participants touched on territorial issues, security guarantees for Ukraine, and the prospects for sanctions relief.
