US President Donald Trump’s envoy to the Middle East, Steve Witkoff, is set to visit Moscow for a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Bloomberg reports, citing sources familiar with the matter, that Witkoff’s trip is part of the administration’s efforts to negotiate a ceasefire in the Ukraine war. This will be his second visit to Russia in this role.
His visit is expected to coincide with high-level talks in Saudi Arabia, where Ukrainian officials will meet with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and National Security Adviser Mike Waltz.
Witkoff previously visited Moscow in February, where he facilitated the transfer of American citizen Mark Vogel, who was exchanged by Russian authorities for Alexander Vinnik. Reports also indicated that he met with Putin during the trip.
Commenting on Witkoff’s upcoming visit, Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova told Russian state media TASS that “bilateral contacts with the US are currently quite intensive, with their level and formats often agreed upon in a working mode very quickly.”
Additionally, Witkoff stated that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky sent a letter to US President Donald Trump apologizing for their heated public exchange during an Oval Office meeting.
“Zelensky sent a letter to the president. He apologized for that whole incident that happened in the Oval Office,” Witkoff said Monday on Fox News, as cited by The Hill.
“I think that it was an important step, and there’s been a lot of discussion between our teams and the Ukrainians and the Europeans who are relevant to this discussion as well.”
Witkoff described Zelensky’s decision to send the letter as “progress.”
On March 11, Saudi Arabia will host a high-level meeting between Ukraine and the US in Jeddah to discuss a potential framework for ending the war, strengthening ties, and other key issues.
Zelensky arrived in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on Monday for talks with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, while US Secretary of State Marco Rubio landed in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia the same day for discussions with the Ukrainian delegation. However, Zelensky will not directly participate in negotiations between his aides and Washington’s team.
Following his meeting with bin Salman, Zelensky said they discussed “steps and conditions that could end the war and make peace reliable and lasting.”
He added that releasing prisoners and returning deported children is “one of the key measures to establish trust in diplomatic efforts.”
Security guarantees were also a major topic, with Zelensky calling Saudi Arabia “an important platform for diplomacy.” He expressed hope for “practical results” and noted Ukraine’s position at the talks would be “absolutely constructive.”
Zelensky also expressed appreciation for the Saudi Crown Prince’s confidence in Ukraine’s future.