Ukraine is “of course” the main topic when the US special envoy and Putin meet in the palace, adviser says.
The special American envoy Steve Witkoff has arrived in the Russian metropolis of Saint Petersburg on Wednesday.
This is written by the state-run Russian news agency Tass.
Here, during the “first half” of the day, he will meet with the Russian president, Vladimir Putin, says Yuri Ushakov, who is an adviser to Putin, according to Tass.
– Yes, he will meet with Putin in the Constantine Palace, says Ushakov.
The palace was built in the 18th century and is used today for official purposes.
– Negotiations on the Ukraine conflict are of course the main topic of today’s meeting, the Russian adviser continues, according to the state news agency.
Witkoff was in Oslo on Tuesday to meet with the Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelenskyj.
The US Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, has referred to the meeting on Tuesday as “positive”.
– Equipped with those ideas, he can now go to St. Petersburg and share them with Russia – and let’s see if we can make some progress, Rubio said according to AFP.
Special envoy Jared Kushner is also expected to participate in the meeting with Putin – albeit virtually. This is what an American official told AFP.
On his way back from Russia, Witkoff will land in Oslo again as planned, says the Norwegian Prime Minister, Jonas Gahr Støre, to the Norwegian media NRK.
– It will probably be a meeting at the airport, I think. The expectation is that it will be some form of feedback. I think we may be in a phase now where the Russians are also looking for opportunities for diplomacy, says the Norwegian prime minister.
The meeting in Oslo on Tuesday was also attended by representatives from France, Great Britain, Germany, Poland, the EU and Nato.
Relations between Ukraine and the United States are in a tense period after US President Donald Trump concluded a diesel deal with Russia and made critical remarks about Zelenskyi.
After the meeting, Zelenskyy said that the warnings that Ukraine receives from the United States about ballistic missiles are “working” again.
– It is very important for the people, because then we know when the Russian ballistic missiles are coming, the president wrote on X.
RITZAU
