As the Trump administration’s sanctions deadline looms over Russia, the Kremlin said that US special envoy Steve Witkoff and Russian President Vladimir Putin held a “constructive and useful” meeting on Wednesday,

Witkoff sat down with Putin on Wednesday after a meeting with Kremlin envoy Kirill Dmitriev, who has been Moscow’s most vocal advocate for closer ties with the U.S. Witkoff has forged a close relationship with Dmitriev, who is an important conduit for Moscow’s messaging in the West.