In a dramatic escalation of diplomatic efforts to end the Russia-Ukraine war, U.S. President Donald Trump publicly pressed the Kremlin to act swiftly, urging Russia to “get moving” on halting the protracted conflict. The message, posted on Trump’s Truth Social platform, came just hours before his envoy, Steve Witkoff, held a four-and-a-half-hour meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Saint Petersburg.
The high-profile talks mark Witkoff’s third official meeting with Putin since February, as Trump seeks to broker a ceasefire deal between Moscow and Kyiv—a move central to his second-term foreign policy agenda. However, despite the flurry of diplomatic engagements, little substantive progress has emerged.
“Russia Has to Get Moving” – Trump
Trump’s blunt statement echoed rising frustration within Washington over Moscow’s apparent unwillingness to make meaningful concessions. “Russia has to get moving,” Trump posted. “This war is senseless and should have never happened.”
His remarks align with mounting concerns among Western allies that Russia is intentionally stalling negotiations. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has accused Moscow of dragging other global powers—particularly China—into the conflict. On Friday, Zelensky claimed that hundreds of Chinese nationals are currently fighting alongside Russian forces on the Ukrainian front lines.
Witkoff-Putin Meeting: No Breakthroughs Yet
Friday’s meeting between Witkoff and Putin was held at the Russian presidential library and concluded without a joint statement or major policy shift. The Kremlin confirmed that the talks “focused on various aspects of the Ukrainian settlement,” but declined to provide details.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov had downplayed expectations ahead of the summit, stating that no diplomatic “breakthroughs” were anticipated. Asked whether the possibility of a Trump-Putin meeting had been raised during the discussions, Peskov responded only, “maybe.”
Steve Witkoff, a real estate executive and longtime Trump ally, has come under scrutiny for his unusually warm comments about the Russian leader. Following a previous meeting, Witkoff described Putin as a “great leader” and “not a bad guy”—a statement that has drawn criticism from both Republican and Democratic lawmakers.
Meanwhile, Trump’s special envoy to Ukraine, retired General Keith Kellogg, has proposed an unconventional solution to ensure peace post-ceasefire. In an interview with The Times, Kellogg floated the idea of dividing Ukraine into allied zones of responsibility—similar to the post-World War II partitioning of Berlin.
Under this proposal, British and French forces would monitor the western part of Ukraine, west of the Dnipro River, forming part of what Kellogg described as a “reassurance force.” A demilitarized zone would separate these areas from Russian-occupied territories in the east.
Kellogg later clarified on social media that the plan would not involve U.S. troops and was intended to strengthen Ukraine’s sovereignty rather than partition the country permanently.
In a potentially destabilizing revelation, Zelensky told allied military leaders in Brussels that Ukrainian forces had captured two Chinese nationals fighting with Russian troops in Donetsk. The Ukrainian president alleged that several hundred more were engaged on the front lines.
The Kremlin swiftly denied the claim, while Beijing issued a statement warning all parties against making “irresponsible remarks.” However, Zelensky insisted that Russia is “trying to prolong the war—even by using Chinese lives.”
This new dimension complicates already strained global dynamics, as China continues to balance its strategic interests with both Russia and the West.
Amid the stalemates and accusations, a glimmer of diplomatic progress emerged in the form of a prisoner exchange. On Thursday, Moscow released dual U.S.-Russian citizen Ksenia Karelina, a ballet dancer sentenced to 12 years for donating $50 to a pro-Ukraine charity. In return, the U.S. released suspected Russian tech smuggler Arthur Petrov.
This marked the second such exchange between the two nations in under two months—a sign, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said, that trust was slowly being rebuilt.
“It helps build trust, which is much needed,” Lavrov told reporters. “But it will take a long time to finally restore it.”
While Trump’s administration continues to push for a swift resolution to the Russia-Ukraine war, Friday’s events highlight the deep divisions and limited leverage that currently define international diplomacy. Despite repeated efforts by envoys like Witkoff and Kellogg, progress remains elusive.
Trump’s direct appeal to Russia, coupled with mounting global tensions over alleged Chinese involvement and ongoing prisoner swaps, underscores a complex geopolitical landscape—one that may take months, if not years, to navigate toward peace.