Trump, Putin, Zelenskyy speak out: Is Witkoff's visit moving Ukraine peace talks forward?

Key questions:

• What is known about the results of the meeting between Witkoff and Putin?
• Is Trump planning a trilateral summit with Zelenskyy and Putin?
• Will territorial issues be key on the path to ending the war?
• What does the Kremlin say about a possible meeting between Putin and Trump?
• Will the US toughen sanctions against Russia after the deadline?
• Zelenskyy announced many calls and contacts today — are there shifts on peace?

On Witkoff’s visit to Moscow and 'positive signals'

On the eve of the approaching deadline that US president Donald Trump gave the Kremlin to reach a deal on peace in Ukraine, diplomatic activity has greatly increased.

Yesterday, US president’s special envoy Steve Witkoff visited the Russian capital, where he met with Russian president Vladimir Putin. Their negotiations lasted about three hours, but neither Witkoff nor Putin gave comments afterward. According to Trump, the meeting was requested by Moscow.

However, on the eve of the negotiations, sources close to the Kremlin told Reuters and Bloomberg that Putin was unlikely to agree to significant concessions to Trump, as he still believes he can capture four regions of Ukraine.

At most, according to journalists, he might agree to a so-called air truce (a temporary halt to drone and missile attacks) to please the White House and avoid secondary tariffs and sanctions from the US.

Against this background, president Volodymyr Zelenskyy reminded that Russia had already been offered an air truce option, but Moscow disrupted it.

Despite prior skepticism, the results of the negotiations were positively evaluated by all participants. Putin's team described the conversation as “constructive,” while Trump called it “more productive than expected.”

Photo: All sides positively evaluated the Witkoff-Putin meeting in the Kremlin on August 6 (Getty Images)

After speaking with Trump and European leaders, Zelenskyy did not rule out a possible change in Moscow’s mood. According to him, it seems Russia is now more inclined toward a ceasefire.

Trump meeting with Putin and Zelenskyy

Immediately after the Kremlin talks between Putin and Witkoff, the US president held a phone call with Zelenskyy and several European leaders.

According to The New York Times, participants in the call with Trump also included British prime minister Keir Starmer, German chancellor Friedrich Merz, NATO secretary general Mark Rutte, US vice president JD Vance, US secretary of state Marco Rubio, and US president’s special envoy Steve Witkoff.

During the call, Trump announced his intention to meet with Putin as early as next week and, in the future, to hold a trilateral summit with the leaders of the US, Russia, and Ukraine, NYT wrote.

Fox News reported that the initiator of the upcoming meeting was actually Putin himself. Allegedly, during his conversation with Witkoff, he proposed only a general idea of future negotiations, whereas Trump is ready for them only if they lead to a real end to the war in Ukraine.

Later, the US State Department issued comments, emphasizing that a Trump-Putin meeting will depend on progress toward peace in Ukraine. The agency did not rule out a phone call between the leaders in the coming days, clarifying that no calls are currently scheduled.

Speaking from the White House, Trump told reporters that the path to peace in Ukraine is still long. However, he said, “there is a good chance” that a meeting with Zelenskyy and Putin will take place.

Trump added that Witkoff’s talk with Putin cannot be called a breakthrough.

Meanwhile, CNN, citing its sources in the White House, reported that Trump ordered his team to quickly prepare meetings with Putin and Zelenskyy.

Reportedly, he intends to meet with Putin in the coming days, followed by a trilateral meeting involving Zelenskyy. The location has not yet been determined, but several options are being considered. Negotiations may take place as early as next week or within the next two, CNN adds.

Photo: Trump reportedly wants to organize a meeting with Putin, then with Zelenskyy, and a trilateral summit (Getty Images)

The Kremlin, for its part, states that Russia and the US have allegedly “agreed on an arrangement” to hold a Putin-Trump meeting in the coming days. IT was stated by Putin's aide, Yuri Ushakov.

According to him, the meeting venue is allegedly “agreed” and will be announced later.

“Next week has been identified as a tentative date for the meeting between Putin and Trump, but how many days the preparation will take is still hard to say,” Ushakov added.

Ushakov also stated that Witkoff had mentioned the idea of a trilateral meeting between Putin, Trump, and Zelenskyy the day before, but “Moscow left it without comment.”

Will territorial issues be key?

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated that after the meeting between Witkoff and Putin in Moscow, “it became clearer” under what conditions Russia is ready to end the war against Ukraine.

He did not specify what exactly was discussed, but noted that the issue of occupied territories, particularly Crimea, would be key, and that any agreement would require concessions from both sides.

“This is tough. When you have a war and people have died – for example, on the Ukrainian side they’ve paid an enormous price in this war. So have the Russians, but the Ukrainians have paid a big price in this war. Those concessions aren’t easy. You have to also sell them to the public back in your country,” Rubio said.

Rubio emphasized that he cannot yet give a specific timeline for a ceasefire in Ukraine. However, he stressed that at some point, a ceasefire must be announced during the negotiations.

“At some point a ceasefire has to be a part of this process because it is hard to negotiate details of a final peace agreement while you’re shooting at each other,” Rubio said.

What about tougher sanctions against Russia?

The White House still reserves the right to impose secondary sanctions against Russia’s trade partners this Friday, NYT notes. And already tomorrow, August 8, the deadline expires for the Kremlin chief, if Russia does not begin real peace negotiations. Meanwhile, the US State Department stated that Trump will decide on sanctions against Russia within the next 24–36 hours.

Moreover, Trump suggested that the US could impose secondary tariffs not only on India but also on other countries, including China, that trade with Russia.

Initially, the American leader promised to impose a 100% tariff on buyers of Russian energy resources, but later changed his tone, saying he “never specified a percentage” of potential restrictions.

Financial Times notes that among Washington’s possible steps is the introduction of sanctions against Russia’s shadow fleet, which transports oil, bypassing the bans.

Even if a large-scale sanctions strike does not take place on August 8, the first steps have already been taken. Almost immediately after Witkoff’s meeting with Putin ended, Trump fulfilled his earlier promise and raised tariffs on Indian goods.

The US imposed an additional 25% tariffs, doubling the total import tax on goods from India to 50%. The restrictions will take effect on August 27. These actions are a direct signal to New Delhi, which continues to import large volumes of Russian oil. India is currently one of the largest consumers of this raw material — about a third of its imports come from Russia.

According to Reuters, Indian refineries are already awaiting government instructions regarding the purchase of Russian oil after the US tariffs. If they are forced to reduce imports from Russia, they are expected to turn to suppliers from the Middle East, Africa, and the Americas.

Zelenskyy announced 'many calls' to advance peace

The President of Ukraine stated that many calls and contacts are planned for today, “real progress on the path to peace and ensuring Ukraine’s independence under any circumstances.”

“Several conversations are planned for today. A call with German Chancellor Merz is already on the schedule. We’ll also be in contact with colleagues from France and Italy. There will also be communication at the level of national security advisors – I’ve instructed that this special format take place today,” Zelenskyy said.

He said that after yesterday’s joint call with Trump and European leaders, he separately spoke with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte and Finnish President Alexander Stubb.

Photo: Zelenskyy announced many calls to world leaders regarding “real progress toward peace” (president.gov.ua)

“It is important to go over the key details. The priorities are absolutely clear. First – an end to the killing, and it is Russia that must agree to a ceasefire. Second – a format for leaders, so that such a meeting can lead to a truly lasting peace,” Zelenskyy emphasized.

He again reminded that “finding real solutions can be truly effective at the level of leaders.” Therefore, according to the President, it is necessary to determine the time for such a format and the range of issues.

“Third – long-term security. This is possible together with the United States and Europe. Ukraine has never wanted war and will work toward peace as productively as possible. The main thing is for Russia, which started this war, to take real steps to end its aggression. The world has leverage over the aggressor and the means to verify whether promises are being kept,” Zelenskyy added.

For more details on how the Witkoff-Putin meeting in Moscow went, read the article here.

Sources: Reuters, Bloomberg, The New York Times, Fox News, CNN, Financial Times.