Russian President Vladimir Putin held a closed-door meeting in St. Petersburg with Steve Witkoff, US President Donald Trump’s special envoy, to discuss the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, the Kremlin confirmed.

According to Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov, the discussion revolved around “various aspects of the Ukrainian settlement,” though no specific outcomes were disclosed and no major breakthrough was anticipated. The meeting was part of a broader dialogue effort and took place in private, away from the media.

Before meeting Putin, Witkoff held discussions with Kirill Dmitriev, head of the Russian Direct Investment Fund and special envoy for economic cooperation. Dmitriev later described the conversation as “productive.”

Russian news agency TASS reported that Witkoff was on a one-day business trip, arriving in Russia on Friday morning and departing later that evening.

Separately, the Russian consulate in Istanbul announced progress during bilateral talks regarding banking and financial services for diplomatic missions. Both nations exchanged formal diplomatic notes to ensure smoother financial operations for their embassies and missions, as well as to facilitate Russia’s financial contributions to the UN and other international organizations.

Additionally, both sides agreed to develop a roadmap for returning six diplomatic properties in the US previously confiscated from Russia — a step toward easing long-standing diplomatic tensions.