Zelenskyy’s Office explains purpose of Witkoff’s meeting with Putin
Photo: Russian President Vladimir Putin and US special envoy Steve Witkoff (Getty Images)
Russia is incapable of proposing any solutions that would lead to an end to the war, and the meeting between the US president’s special envoy, Steve Witkoff, and the Russian President, Vladimir Putin, will fundamentally change nothing, states Mykhailo Podolyak, advisor to the Head of the President’s Office, in a comment to RBC-Ukraine’s YouTube channel.
According to him, the Kremlin’s position remains unchanged — Putin continues to promote the idea of a so-called "returning what is his," even though, since 1991, Russia has existed within internationally recognized borders and has no legitimate grounds to claim Ukrainian territories.
"Putin needs not only the actual occupation but also European recognition of the right to seize new lands. His goal is to buy time, maintain profits from oil and gas exports to India, Brazil, and China, and also achieve softer rhetoric from the Trump administration and reduce the US’s focus on the war," Podolyak emphasized.
He added that Moscow wants to reduce the volume of military aid to Ukraine, in particular by banning the sale of weapons through intermediaries and European alliances. However, Trump, according to him, understands the Kremlin’s tactics and will not make key concessions.
Podolyak also noted that Russia may try to "buy" the US’s favor through economic offers — from access to Russian oil production and Arctic projects to gas sales schemes to the European market via American intermediaries.
Nevertheless, he is convinced these ideas will no longer work, especially given Trump’s political style.
What is known about Witkoff’s visit to Moscow
Today, August 6, a meeting took place in Moscow between US President Donald Trump’s special envoy, Steve Witkoff, and Russian President Vladimir Putin.
The negotiations lasted about three hours. Witkoff arrived in Russia that same morning. At Vnukovo-2 airport, he was greeted by Russia’s special representative for investment issues, Kirill Dmitriev.
During the meeting between the US special envoy and the Russian leader, signals were exchanged regarding the war in Ukraine.
Witkoff’s visit to Moscow was the fifth since Donald Trump returned to the White House.
More details about Witkoff’s visit to Moscow and what led up to it can be found in the RBC-Ukraine report.
