Overview

• Steve Witkoff, President Trump's special envoy, met with Russian President Vladimir Putin in St. Petersburg on Friday in an effort to advance stalled ceasefire negotiations in the Ukraine conflict.
• This marks Witkoff's third meeting with Putin this year, as the U.S. pushes for a peace agreement while expressing frustration over Russia's lack of commitment to earlier proposals.
• Russia has introduced new demands, including the lifting of certain U.S. sanctions, further complicating the negotiation process despite Ukraine's agreement to an unconditional ceasefire.
• President Trump has warned of additional sanctions on Russia, including secondary tariffs on oil exports, if a ceasefire is not reached by the end of April.
• The talks follow a recent prisoner exchange between the U.S. and Russia, seen as a confidence-building measure, but Kremlin officials have downplayed expectations for a breakthrough in this round of discussions.