Video posted to social media shows Steve Witkoff, President Donald Trump’s special envoy, placing his hand over his heart right before meeting Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday.
Newsweek has reached out to the State Department for comment via email on Friday.
Why It Matters
Witkoff’s repeated trips to Russia and his meeting with Kremlin-linked figures signal the Trump administration’s willingness to engage directly—even informally—with Moscow as the war in Ukraine continues. While both sides publicly emphasize peace, behind-the-scenes negotiations appear tangled in competing goals. The U.S. seeks a ceasefire, while Russia pushes for sanctions relief and greater economic cooperation.
Earlier this year, Trump sparred with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky during a tense Oval Office meeting, temporarily suspending aid to Kyiv.
The presence of Trump’s envoy in Putin’s orbit also raises questions about the administration’s diplomatic strategy, especially as battlefield conditions shift and 2024 campaign politics loom large. With Ukraine still under siege and no clear end to the fighting, the outcome of these talks could shape not just the war’s next phase, but the future of U.S.-Russia relations.
What to Know
Witkoff met with Putin in Saint Petersburg on Friday to discuss a potential ceasefire to try to bring the Russia-Ukraine war to an end.
Video posted to X, formerly Twitter, showed Witkoff, just before meeting the Russian leader, adjusting his tie and then placing his right hand on his heart. It wasn’t clear what the gesture meant—some on social media viewed it as a sign of respect before the discussions began, while the move drew backlash from some critics of the Trump administration.
Russian state media Tass reported that the meeting was announced earlier by Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, and that the two would discuss the “normalization of ties between Moscow and Washington and some aspects of the Ukrainian settlement.”
It is the third meeting between the two, according to Tass.
Trump has urged a ceasefire of the conflict, though it’s unclear at this point that either side is ready.
Whether or not Ukraine must give up any territory to Russia has remained a sticking point. While the administration has suggested Kyiv may need to make concessions to end the war, the Ukrainian government believes it should not give up any land as a result of an unjust invasion.
GAVRIIL GRIGOROV/POOL/AFP via Getty Images
What People Are Saying
Journalist Julia Davis, creator of the Russian Media Monitor, wrote on X: “Witkoff placing his hand over his heart to express his devotion to war criminal Putin and then sheepishly following in tow behind him is utterly disgusting.”
Anti-Trump news outlet MeidasTouch wrote on X: “America Last, Putin First.”
President Donald Trump wrote on Truth Social: “Russia has to get moving. Too many people ere 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!!!”
What Happens Next?
Peskov told Russian state media that the results of the meeting won’t be “momentous,” casting doubt there would be any breakthroughs, according to Reuters.
