US Envoy Carries Ukraine Peace Proposals to Vladimir Putin

US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff traveled to St. Petersburg on Wednesday to meet with Vladimir Putin at the Konstantinovsky Palace. Witkoff is presenting peace proposals developed during multilateral talks in Oslo, where he met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and European leaders. Finnish President Alexander Stubb described the peace process as being back on track, while the Kremlin stated that a full resolution is impossible without Kyiv's participation.

The diplomatic push follows a period of severe tension between Kyiv and Washington. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy confirmed that the United States restored critical early-warning intelligence regarding Russian ballistic missiles after a lapse of at least one week. Zelenskyy also sought more Patriot missiles and the removal of speed restrictions on SpaceX's Starshield satellite service, which he claimed were politically motivated.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio denied any deliberate directive to withhold intelligence or restrict satellite access, attributing missile shortages to global supply issues and characterizing claims of US interference as a political operation. Meanwhile, President Donald Trump has pressured Zelenskyy to reach a deal, citing tremendous monetary loss from US aid. EU High Representative Kaja Kallas accused US negotiators of pressuring Ukraine to surrender on terms favorable to Russia.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov noted that Russia seeks a durable peace rather than a temporary ceasefire. He also mentioned the possibility of a future trilateral summit involving Putin, Trump, and Chinese President Xi Jinping.