U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff on Feb. 18, 2025. EVELYN HOCKSTEIN / POOL / AFP

President Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff will hold talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday, according to Russian state media quoting the Kremlin.

It will be the third time Witkoff visits the country and meets with Putin since Mr. Trump's return to the White House.

Citing Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, Russia's state-run TASS news agency reported that a "Ukrainian settlement" will be discussed, as well as a potential future meeting between Mr. Trump and Putin.

However, Peskov is quoted as having cautioned that no breakthroughs are expected to come from the meeting.

This one comes a day after a dual U.S.-Russian national, Ksenia Karelina, who had been sentenced to 12 years in prison in Russia, was exchanged for Arthur Petrov, who was accused of forming a global smuggling spy ring.

Mr. Trump has been pushing for an end to the war between Russia and Ukraine and has previously publicly criticized both Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Putin.

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