Steve Witkoff arrived in Russia on Thursday, observing President Putin's public statements regarding the proposed ceasefire in Ukraine, which were notably ambiguous. Following these remarks, Witkoff met with Vladimir Putin to discuss the situation further.
A meeting was held on Thursday evening that concluded at 1:30 a.m. Moscow time, as reported by the Radio Mayak. There has been no official confirmation regarding a discussion between the Russian president and the U.S. presidential envoy.
According to Flightradar24 and the BBC, a Gulfstream G650ER aircraft took off from Vnukovo airport around 2:00 a.m. Moscow time. The Izvestia has shared a video purportedly showing when Steve Witkoff's convoy arrived at the airport.
Before the U.S. envoy met with the Russian president, Donald Trump commented during a discussion with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, stating that Putin made a very promising statement on the truce, but it was not complete.
During a press conference following his meeting with Alyaksandr Lukashenka, the Russian president expressed support for "the idea of a peaceful end to the conflict." He indicated a willingness to discuss the truce directly with president Donald Trump. However, he emphasized that Moscow requires guarantees that Ukraine will not engage in mobilizations or receive arms from its allies.
On the day the U.S. diplomat arrived in Russia, CBS News reported that the Trump's administration deliberately did not extend the sanctions loophole that allowed transactions with Russian banks to trade Russian energy carriers. The decision to expire the loophole was still made by the Joe Biden administration and expired on Tuesday. The tightening of the sanctions policy against Russia justified the decision.
As of March 12, Russian-sanctioned banks lost the ability to process dollar-denominated payments for oil and gas due to the expiration of a key license. This development limits Russia's access to the U.S. financial system, complicating international transactions for energy commodities. Experts suggest that these restrictions may reduce the availability of Russian oil on the global market, which could have significant implications for international energy dynamics.
Additionally, a report from Bloomberg indicates, that the United States is exploring potential cooperation with Gazprom on global projects. Russian and European sources suggest that there have been initial contacts between representatives from Moscow and Washington. However, details about the leaders of these negotiations and the extent of involvement from Donald Trump's team remain uncertain.
jb / belsat.eu according to vot-tak.tv
