US envoy engaged in shuttle diplomacy between Trump, Putin, confirms Kremlin

The Kremlin has confirmed that Steve Witkoff, special envoy of US President Donald Trump, is conducting a form of shuttle diplomacy between Washington and Moscow, delivering direct messages between the two presidents amid heightened geopolitical tensions.

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov characterized Witkoff’s repeated visits as “mediation services provided by the United States,” underscoring the significance of personal diplomacy in the current international climate, Caliber.Az reports citing Russian media.

"This is certainly shuttle diplomacy; indeed, it is about mediation efforts that the United States is making," Peskov told journalist Pavel Zarubin. In response to a question about Putin and Trump exchanging messages through Witkoff, Peskov said: "Of course, he is a special envoy, isn’t he?"

The Kremlin spokesman elaborated on the rationale behind the use of direct envoy diplomacy, noting that the method is particularly effective for complex dialogue. He emphasized that such an approach is necessary because “it is always easier to clarify all details” in a private conversation. “Communication with Witkoff takes a lot of time; every time, it’s several hours. This is a good opportunity to convey our position to the US,” Peskov added.

Further underlining the importance of these engagements, Kremlin aide Yury Ushakov confirmed that President Vladimir Putin had recently received Steve Witkoff at the Kremlin. Their meeting, which extended over the course of three hours, was described as “constructive and quite useful.”

This latest encounter marked the second meeting between Putin and Witkoff within the past two weeks and the fourth since the beginning of the year. Their prior discussion took place in St. Petersburg on April 11 and lasted over four hours.

By Vafa Guliyeva