Russian media report Trump’s envoy Steve Witkoff will meet Putin for Ukraine talks – as it happened (2025)

… and on that note, it’s a wrap from me, Jakub Krupa, for today.

• US envoy Steve Witkoff visits Russia today, where his is expected to meet Russian president Vladimir Putin (14:27). The meeting comes amid growing impatience over Russia’s refusal to agree to a ceasefire and peace talks over Ukraine, with US president Donald Trump saying “Russia has to get moving” (16:10).

• Ukrainian defence minister Rustem Umerov warned Russia was ramping up its military production and has shown no will for peace (12:55).

• His comments came on the day as western allies mobilised over €21bn in new military aid to Ukraine, including from the UK and Germany.

• But German defence minister Boris Pistorius stressed that “given Russia’s ongoing aggression against Ukraine, we must concede peace in Ukraine appears to be out of reach in the immediate future.”

• British defence secretary John Healey strongly pushed back on EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas’s apparent criticism that there was a lack of clarity on the Coalition of the Willing’s plans for the reassurance force in Ukraine (9:39), saying the planning was “real, substantial, well advanced,” and the EU was not a part of it (12:59).

• On economy front, the EU trade commissioner Maroš Šefčovič will go to Washington on Sunday for further talks with US counterparts on tariffs, a commission spokesperson confirmed (11:52).

• And finally, in Greenland, the head of the US military base that was visited by vice-president JD Vance has been fired for criticising Washington’s agenda for the Arctic island (10:35).

And that’s all from me, Jakub Krupa, for today.

If you have any tips, comments or suggestions, email me at jakub.krupa@theguardian.com.

I am also on Bluesky at @jakubkrupa.bsky.social and on X at @jakubkrupa.

We also got an update from Trump on what he thinks about Russia as his envoy Steve Witkoff is in Moscow for talks with president Vladimir Putin.

Here’s his post on Truth Social:

Russia has to get moving. Too many people ere [sic] 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!!!

… and if you wondered what president Donald Trump thinks of his tariffs policy, here’s his take, as published on Truth Social just now:

We are doing really well on our TARIFF POLICY. Very exciting for America, and the World!!! It is moving along quickly. DJT

If you want to know what the markets think – the New York Stock Exchange has just opened for trading – our business live blog is here:

The EU will not rip up its tech rules in an attempt to reach a trade deal with Donald Trump, the bloc’s most senior official on digital policy has said.

Henna Virkkunen, the European Commission vice-president responsible for tech sovereignty, indicated the EU was not going to compromise on its digital rulebook to reach an agreement on trade with the US – a key demand of Trump administration officials.

“We are very committed to our rules when it comes to the digital world,” Virkkunen said in an interview with European newspapers, including the Guardian. “We want to make sure that our digital environment in the European Union … that it is fair and it’s safe and it’s also democratic.”

Read in full:

We’re just getting new lines from the Kremlin, confirming that US president Donald Trump’s envoy Steve Witkoff who landed in Moscow a few hours ago will meet Russian president Vladimir Putin.

In reports carried by Reuters from Russian agencies, Ria and Interfax, the Kremlin is also quoted as saying the pair will talk about Ukraine and “may discuss Putin’s meeting with Trump”.

But also a caveat that “Witkoff’s visit to Russia cannot be called momentous, no breakthroughs should be expected.”

Elsewhere, Spain’s prime minister, Pedro Sánchez, has offered his condolences to friends and relatives of a Spanish family who died in New York on Thursday after their sightseeing helicopter crashed in the Hudson River, killing all onboard including the pilot.

It emerged on Friday that the victims were Agustín Escobar, his wife, Mercè Camprubí, and their three children, who were 11, five and four. The identity of the pilot has not yet been made public.

The sightseeing helicopter broke apart in midair and crashed upside down into the Hudson between Manhattan and the New Jersey waterfront shortly after 3pm local time, leading to a huge response from emergency crews.

Umerov gets asked about Witkoff’s trip to Russia, but sidesteps the question, as he says he only just heard about it, and he hopes to hear from US counterparts on this later.

And that concludes the press conference.

Pistorius gets also asked if Germany could provide more Patriot air defence systems to Ukraine, but he says that is not an option at that moment as it is waiting on deliveries of these systems itself.

Asked about it, Germany’s Pistorius plays down the significance of US defence secretary Pete Hegseth’s participation via a video call, and not in person.

He says “it is a matter of schedules,” as Hegseth only returned to the US from other grips, and said that some other ministers were not physically here for the same reason.

“The most important fact was that he took part,” he said.

He says:

“And in the near future, in the weeks to come, we will see what’s going to happen with the US participation, with the US support.

I am not able to … look in the crystal ball. We wait and see. …

We take on more responsibility as Europeans and Nato as Europeans, together with UK.”

Ukraine’s Umerov supports him speaking along the same lines.

UK defence secretary John Healey strongly pushed back on EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas’s apparent criticism that there was a lack of clarity on the Coalition of the Willing’s plans for the reassurance force in Ukraine (9:39).

Asked about it, he says:

Our planning is indeed for the Coalition of the Willing, [it is] real, substantial, well advanced. The European Union is not part of that planning.

Ukrainian defence minister Rustem Umerov says he informed other ministers that “Russia is ramping up its production … and does not show any evidence [it is] willing to have peace.”

He thanks allied countries for their continuing help, stressing the particularly urgent need for more air defence systems.

UK defence secretary John Healey says today’s discussions led to over €21bn in fresh military aid commitments from allied countries, “a record boost in military funding for Ukraine.”

He adds the UK also continues its support, with the total of £4.5bn to be spent on military support for Ukraine this year.

Healey joins Pistorius in calling out Putin’s continuing aggression:

Today is one month to the day in which Russia rejected president Trump’s peace settlement.

Putin said he wanted peace, but he rejected a full ceasefire.

Putin said he wanted peace, but he continues to drag his feet and delay negotiations.

Putin said he wanted peace, but his forces continue to fire on Ukraine, military and civilian targets alike.

Speaking about the current situation, German defence ministers Pistorius – who is expected to retain his job in the next coalition government – says that:

“Given Russia’s ongoing aggression against Ukraine, we must concede peace in Ukraine appears to be out of reach in the immediate future.”

He adds:

“We will ensure that Ukraine continues to benefit from our joint military support. Russia needs to understand that Ukraine is able to go on fighting, and we will support it.”

Germany’s Pistorius condemns Russia for “continuing its attacks against Ukraine,” as he says Moscow “is still not yet interested in peace.”

“Ukraine needs a strong military, and only then can the negotiation process lead to a just and lasting peace,” he says.

German, British and Ukrainian defence ministers are giving a press conference after today’s meeting of the Ukraine Defence Contact Group now.

I will bring you they key lines here.

Separately, speaking at a press conference in Warsaw, EU economy commissioner Valdis Dombrovskis spoke about the US tariffs, saying that:

The nature of these rapidly moving developments make it difficult to assess their impact on the EU’s economic outlook.

But what is clear and what also ministers in today’s meeting agreed on is that the impact of the tariffs, it will be the US itself that will be first and most hit by the tariffs.

He said that early model simulations indicated the US GDP would be reduced by 0.8 to 1.4% until 2027, with the EU’s growth hit much lower, at 0.2%.

“These model simulations do not account for additional loss of investor and business confidence in the US economy, which could further the negative GDP impact,” he added.

He said:

“So let me make it clear, Europe did not start this confrontation, and Europe does not want this confrontation.

Tariffs go against the political and economic logic of deep and longstanding transatlantic trading partnership, … so from commission side, will continue to closely monitor financial developments in a days and weeks ahead.

We’re ready to negotiate a mutually acceptable outcome while defending our economic interests so there is no need to continue to hurt the US own and our economy.”

We’re getting an update on US envoy Steve Witkoff’s visit to Moscow, with TASS news agency reporting he met with Vladimir Putin’s international cooperation envoy Kirill Dmitriev.

I will bring you more on their conversation if and when we have it.

EU trade commissioner Maroš Šefčovič will go to Washington on Sunday, a commission spokesperson told the Irish broadcaster RTÉ.

Olof Gill told RTÉ radio:

The trade commissioner is gong to Washington to try and sign deals. That is what we are focused on.