Steve Witkoff, the United States Special Envoy to the Middle East, says he’s optimistic about negotiating peace between Russia and Ukraine following his meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin last Friday.
“I think we might be on the verge of something that would be very, very, important for the world at large,” Witkoff said in an interview with Sean Hannity on Fox News Tuesday night.
Witkoff said he and Putin discussed several issues that need to be resolved in order to reach a permanent peace. That includes the future of the five Ukrainian territories Russia has seized during the war, and NATO’s Article 5, which obligates all NATO members to respond to an attack on another member.
“There’s a lot of detail attached to it,” Witkoff said, recounting the nearly five-hour meeting. “It’s a complicated situation rooted in some real problematic things happening between the two countries.”
Witkoff added that some economic incentives between the United States and Russia may emerge from the talks.
“I believe there is a possibility to reshape the Russian-United States relationship through some very compelling commercial opportunities that give real stability to the region,” he said. “Partnerships create stability.”
Witkoff said the meeting was the third time he had met with Putin.
The day before the meeting, Putin released Russian-American Ksenia Karelina, 34, from prison. The amateur ballet dancer had been sentenced to 12 years for treason after donating $51.80 to an American charity aiding Ukraine. She was arrested in 2024 while visiting her 90-year-old grandmother.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters on Tuesday that there is still not a clear outline for a potential deal, but that the meeting had been positive and useful, Reuters reported.
“There are no clear outlines of any agreement yet, but there is political will to move towards an agreement,” he said. “And I repeat once again, we highly rate the constructive and meaningful contacts that we have had.”
Trump has ramped up pressure on Russia to make a deal in recent weeks to get a deal made after negotiations seemingly stalled.
“Russia has to get moving,” Trump posted on Truth Social as Witkoff arrived in Russia. “Too many people are DYING, thousands a week, in a terrible and senseless war – A war that should have never happened, and wouldn’t have happened, if I were President!!!”
In March, Trump said he was “very angry, pissed off” after Putin began to question Zelensky’s credibility and discuss new leadership for Ukraine.
“He considers Zelensky not credible, he’s supposed to be making a deal with him whether you like him, you don’t like him,” Trump said. “So I wasn’t happy with that. But I think he’s going to be good.”