US envoy Steve Witkoff held talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin, though officials in Moscow poured cold water on any imminent agreement to end the war in Ukraine.
Witkoff’s visit follows what a US official called “constructive” meetings with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and other European leaders.
Kyiv is coming under increased pressure from Washington: US President Donald Trump has pushed Zelenskyy to “make a deal,” which a senior EU official said could force a “surrender on Putin’s terms.”
Meanwhile, Germany’s chancellor warned Europe was underestimating the threat posed by Russia and its attempts to destabilize the continent; the EU on Tuesday opened a probe into the role pro-Kremlin disinformation may have played in stoking protests in France.