Steve Witkoff described a three-and-a-half-hour meeting he held with Russian President Vladimir Putin earlier this month, part of what he called a "trust-building" assignment.

U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff secured the release of Marc Fogel on an unannounced visit to Moscow. LeeAnne Lowry

A U.S. official says Secretary of State Marco Rubio is leading a delegation to Saudi Arabia for direct talks with Russian officials in the coming days to seek an end to Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine. The official says that also expected to take part in the talks in Riyadh is national security adviser Michael Waltz and special envoy Steve Witkoff.

Steve Witkoff, President Trump’s special envoy to the Middle East, described on Sunday a three-and-a-half hour meeting he had with Russian President Vladimir Putin earlier this month, part of what he said was a “trust-building” assignment given to him by President Trump.

Russia released American schoolteacher Marc Fogel on Tuesday following an unannounced visit to Moscow by U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff and he was headed for a White House welcome, U.S. President Donald Trump said.

Steve Witkoff described a three-and-a-half-hour meeting he held with Russian President Vladimir Putin earlier this month, part of what he called a "trust-building" assignment.

Putin has often said the 2022 peace negotiations in Istanbul could serve as a framework for peace talks with Ukraine.

Special envoy Steve Witkoff said Sunday that Russia should not necessarily be blamed for sparking the war in Ukraine — a position that aligns with President Donald Trump’s recent strikes against Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy as the three-year anniversary of the fighting looms.

US special envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff, whose portfolio has expanded to encompass Ukraine, suggested that the war there wasn’t “necessary” provoked by the Kremlin.

A well-known real estate investor who maintains close ties to President Donald Trump, Steve Witkoff has become a global statesman as Trump’s Middle East envoy.

When Donald Trump was convicted on 34 felony counts by a jury last May, there was one person in his courtroom entourage who wasn’t one of his lawyers, aides or family members: Steve Witkoff.

President Trump is leaning on Steve Witkoff, a longtime friend and real estate investor, to facilitate key aspects of his foreign policy, including high-profile ceasefire talks in Gaza and