Russian President Vladimir Putin, right, shakes hands with President Donald Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff during a meeting in Saint Petersburg, Russia, on Friday. (Sputnik/Gavriil Grigorov/Pool)
"We believe we have leverage in negotiating a deal… And we're going to use that leverage. And the president is determined to see this through," Leavitt said.
Trump has demanded that both sides agree to an immediate 30-day ceasefire while they hash out a longer peace deal. Ukraine has agreed to this, while Russia has not. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy claimed Ukraine had found two Chinese men fighting on behalf of Russia within their borders, a development that would suggest Russia is receiving direct manpower aid from both North Korea and China.
Zelenskyy said at least 155 Chinese citizens were fighting for Russia as he accused Putin of "prolonging the war" — a claim the Kremlin denied Thursday, stating that China takes a "balanced position" to the war and that "Zelenskyy is wrong." Fox News Digital has reached out to the Russian Ministry of Defense for further comment.
Ahead of Witkoff’s meeting with Russian officials, Trump ramped up pressure on Putin, writing on Truth Social: "Russia has to get moving. Too many people are 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!!!"
Trump said on March 31 that he was "pissed off" with the Russian leader and threatened to put "secondary tariffs" on Russia's oil exports, its financial lifeline for the war effort. That could mean sanctioning countries that buy Russian oil or cracking down on its "shadow fleet" of tankers carrying oil across the globe in disguise.
Trump has previously aired out complaints about Zelenskyy, too, calling him a "dictator without elections." A public White House meeting last month erupted into a near-shouting match where Zelenskyy abruptly left the premises.
RUSSIAN AMERICAN BALLERINA KSENIA KARELINA HAS MESSAGE FOR TRUMP AFTER RELEASE FROM RUSSIA
The St. Petersburg meeting was Witkoff's third meeting with Putin this year. (Sputnik/Gavriil Grigorov/Pool via Reuters)
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The St. Petersburg gathering is Witkoff's third meeting with Putin this year. Over the weekend he will head to Oman to negotiate with Iran in nuclear talks.
Ahead of Friday's meeting, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said there was "no need to expect breakthroughs" and the "process of normalizing relations is ongoing."
Reuters contributed to this report.
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/trump-envoy-meets-putin-russia-trump-fumes-stalled-ukraine-peace-talks