Putin Engages Key Global Leaders on U.S.-Russia Peace Dialogue Following Witkoff Discussions

On Friday, President Vladimir Putin conducted a series of phone calls with the leaders of China, India, Belarus, Kazakhstan, and Uzbekistan to discuss his recent conversation with Steve Witkoff, the special envoy of U.S. President Donald Trump.

During the call, Chinese President Xi Jinping expressed China’s support for ongoing U.S.-Russia discussions regarding Ukraine, emphasizing that Beijing would always back efforts to promote peace and dialogue. However, he also noted that «complex issues do not have simple solutions,» according to reports from Chinese state media.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi shared on the platform X that he had a “very good and detailed conversation” with his «friend» Putin, focusing on the recent developments in Ukraine. Modi noted that they assessed the status of their bilateral relations and reaffirmed their “Special and Privileged Strategic Partnership.” He also confirmed earlier reports of Putin’s upcoming visit to India later this year.

Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko also spoke with Putin about U.S. proposals for peace and the possibility of a summit between Trump and Putin, which Moscow indicated could take place “in the coming days.” However, U.S. officials have yet to validate these plans.

Meanwhile, Trump has set a deadline for Russia to end the war by Friday, warning of new sanctions and «secondary tariffs» on its major trading partners. Trump mentioned that “great progress was made” during Witkoff’s discussions in Moscow. Yet, when questioned on Thursday regarding whether his ceasefire deadline remained, Trump stated, “It’s gonna be up to him, we’re gonna see what he has to say.”

Expressing disappointment, Trump indicated uncertainty about whether he would maintain his tough stance on Russia while advocating for a swift conclusion to the conflict in Ukraine.

On the same day, Putin also communicated with Shavkat Mirziyoyev, the President of Uzbekistan, and Kasym-Jomart Tokayev, the President of Kazakhstan. The Kremlin reported that both leaders were in favor of pursuing a political and diplomatic resolution to the conflict. However, their offices did not endorse any particular peace initiative during these discussions.

Putin’s outreach to these countries followed a call with South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, where Putin provided updates on peace talks. Ramaphosa expressed his “full support” for initiatives aimed at concluding the war and fostering lasting peace between Russia and Ukraine, as stated in a summary of their conversation.

Witkoff, who serves as the Special Envoy to the Middle East, has made multiple trips to Russia since Trump assumed office in January. His most recent visit occurred in April when he met with Putin to explore the possibility of resuming direct peace negotiations between Ukraine and Russia.

This latest trip coincided with Trump’s decision to impose an additional 25% tariff on Indian products due to New Delhi’s continued imports of Russian oil. Since 2022, both India and China have emerged as significant purchasers of Russian crude oil.

Although officials in both Moscow and Washington have recently expressed cautious optimism about advancements in peace talks regarding Ukraine, the specifics of the meeting between Putin and Witkoff remain unclear, and there appears to be limited indication that Putin is willing to lessen his stringent demands for ending the war with Ukraine.

Just last week, Putin informed reporters that the conditions for peace he articulated a year ago are largely unchanged. These include Ukraine’s renunciation of the occupied territories, a commitment to a neutral status, limitations on its military size, and a call for regime change in Kyiv.