Steve Witkoff is a long-time friend and golf partner of US President Donald Trump. He became the first American diplomat to visit Russia after full-scale war broke out between Moscow and Kyiv. He is also credited for the ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas.
US President Donald Trump’s senior aide Steve Witkoff, who is currently in Russia, held a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin’s special envoy for investment and international economic affairs, according to TASS. While Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov confirmed Witkoff’s visit to Russia, he did not specify whether Trump’s top aide will meet Putin. However, if Witkoff meets Putin, it would be their third meeting after Moscow and Washington initiated their talks to end the conflict in Ukraine.
Last week, Witkoff also hosted Putin’s envoy Kirill Dmitriev in Washington to break the deadlock in talks between both nations.
Witkoff also became the first senior American diplomat to visit Russia to meet Putin after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Notably, the Biden administration had cut off all contact with the Russian president, making Witkoff’s visit to Russia prominent.
Witkoff also flew to Russia for talks that led to a prisoner swap that freed Marc Fogel, an American history teacher the US had deemed wrongfully detained. Fogel was arrested in August 2021 and was serving a 14-year prison sentence.
He is credited with developing a rapport with his Russian interlocutor, Kirill Dmitriev, the head of the Russian Direct Investment Fund, during those successful negotiations, according to retired Lt Gen Keith Kellogg, Trump’s special envoy to Ukraine and Russia.
Witkoff also went to the Mideast to begin work with Joe Biden’s team on winning a hostage and temporary ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas.
He was praised by Trump as he shuttled between Tel Aviv and Doha for helping seal the agreement that led to a weekslong ceasefire and 33 hostages being freed from Hamas captivity in exchange for the release of nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners.
Witkoff, who runs a real estate development and investment firm, is a long-time friend and golf partner of Trump.
He played a less visible role during Trump’s first term, serving on the board of trustees for the John F Kennedy Centre for the Performing Arts.