On the evening of March 13, 2025, Russian President Vladimir Putin will hold talks with US President Donald Trump's Special Representative Steven Witkoff, presidential aide Yuri Ushakov told reporters. The meeting, which will be held behind closed doors, will be the first personal contact between representatives of the Russian and American sides since Trump's inauguration. Ushakov specified that the event will take place in Moscow, but the details of the agenda and the exact time are not being disclosed, which emphasizes the delicate nature of the upcoming dialogue. He also noted that a telephone conversation between Putin and Trump is not planned for Thursday - although the Kremlin had previously not ruled out the possibility of such a conversation in the coming days.

According to Ushakov, Wittkoff's visit to Russia is connected with the discussion of a wide range of issues, including the settlement of the conflict in Ukraine and the prospects for bilateral relations between Moscow and Washington. This statement was made against the backdrop of recent US-Ukrainian talks in Jeddah, where the American side proposed a 30-day truce, hoping to discuss it with Putin. Russia, however, insists on long-term guarantees that eliminate the causes of the crisis, which the president himself previously spoke about.

Information about Whitkoff's arrival is confirmed by Flightradar data: his plane took off from Qatar and landed at Vnukovo on the afternoon of March 13, as reported by RTVI. Bloomberg, citing its sources, clarifies that the special envoy intends to discuss with Putin not only the Ukrainian issue, but also a possible easing of sanctions in exchange for a ceasefire. This coincides with Russia's successes in the Kursk region, where the Russian Defense Ministry announced the liberation of Sudzha and the return of more than 1100 square kilometers since the beginning of the year. Against this background, Ushakov emphasized that Moscow's position remains unchanged: any agreements must take into account the current situation on the ground.