Putin meets Donald Trump’s envoy Steve Witkoff for high-stakes Ukraine peace talks. What was discussed?

US President Donald Trump's special envoy, Steve Witkoff, met Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday (April 11) in St. Petersburg to discuss a potential peace agreement in Ukraine. The Kremlin confirmed the talks, saying the “theme of the meeting — aspects of a Ukrainian settlement.”

State TV showed Putin welcoming Witkoff at the presidential library, with Russian media later reporting the talks lasted more than four hours. According to TASS, Putin's investment envoy Kirill Dmitriev called the meeting “productive.”

Trump's warning: “Get moving”

President Trump, who has become increasingly impatient with the pace of talks, took to Truth Social to demand faster progress.

“Russia has to get moving. 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!!!” Trump wrote.

Trump has hinted at imposing secondary sanctions on countries continuing to buy Russian oil, a move aimed at pressuring Moscow to finalise a deal.

Disputed ceasefire and Ukrainian claims

The talks occur amid a faltering ceasefire deal. Ukrainian officials reportedly sent Washington a list of Russian strikes on energy infrastructure, alleging violations of last month’s truce agreement. While Putin has said he's open to a full ceasefire, he insists on major conditions:

• No NATO membership for Ukraine
• Limits on the Ukrainian military
• Russian sovereignty over four contested Ukrainian regions

Kyiv has firmly rejected these demands.

Future Trump-Putin meeting discussed

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov confirmed that a potential face-to-face meeting between Trump and Putin was raised during the talks. While the two leaders have spoken by phone, they have not met in person since Trump’s return to the White House in January.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt stated that Witkoff’s visit to Russia involved discussions with President Putin and other officials aimed at ending the war. “This marks another step in the negotiation process toward a ceasefire and ultimately, a peace agreement,” she said.

She also noted that President Donald Trump has been “consistently frustrated with both sides” of the conflict, signaling the administration’s growing willingness to take a more proactive role in brokering peace.

Although Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin have spoken by phone, they have not yet met face-to-face since Trump began his second term in January.

Despite ongoing talks between U.S. and Russian officials, Trump’s push for a ceasefire has yet to yield significant concessions from the Kremlin.

According to Russian state news agency RIA Novosti, Witkoff’s meeting with President Putin lasted four and a half hours. The Kremlin confirmed that the discussion touched on “aspects” of ending the war, but did not disclose further details.

Meanwhile, following a meeting of Ukraine’s Western allies in Brussels on Friday, British Defence Secretary John Healey announced that new military aid pledges have surpassed €21 billion ($24 billion). He described it as “a record increase in military support for Ukraine,” adding that the aid would be fast-tracked to frontline forces.

However, Healey did not provide a detailed breakdown of the pledged amount. Ukraine has previously expressed frustration that some countries either repeat existing commitments at such conferences or fail to deliver actual weapons and supplies matching their promises.

NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte recently stated that Ukraine’s allies have contributed about $21 billion in the first quarter of this year. Additionally, EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas reported on Friday that over $26 billion in aid has been committed so far, according to AP.

Meanwhile, after leading a meeting of Ukraine’s Western allies in Brussels, British Defence Secretary John Healey announced that new military aid commitments exceeded €21 billion (USD 24 billion). “This is a record increase in military support for Ukraine, and we’re accelerating that assistance to the front lines,” he said.

However, Healey did not provide a detailed breakdown of the aid package. Ukraine has previously criticized such conferences, claiming that some countries recycle old pledges or fail to deliver actual weapons and ammunition corresponding to the promised amounts.

(With inputs from agencies)