Russian President Vladimir Putin met Wednesday with U.S. special envoy Witkoff
to discuss ending the war in Ukraine, foreign media reported. At the outset of
the meeting Russia released a detained U.S. retired teacher as a goodwill
gesture. Russian agencies quoted Putin thanking U.S. President Trump for efforts
to resolve the conflict and saying Russia is interested in restoring economic
ties with the United States. Witkoff, in his ninth face-to-face meeting with
Putin, said a Russia-Ukraine ceasefire has a basis and urged consideration of
trilateral talks between Russia, the U.S. and Ukraine.
