Steve Witkoff’s presence in the Russian capital was a brief one. According to footage capturing his motorcade’s departure and arrival at Moscow’s Vnukovo airport, his entire visit lasted no more than 12 hours. It appears that the majority of his time was spent waiting; this comes on the heels of talks between the US and Ukraine in Saudi Arabia.

For more details, check out our story on Trump’s fixer leaving Moscow and the latest on peace talks.

Mr Witkoff, a former property investor and regarded as President Donald Trump’s negotiator, was sent to Moscow to present a US proposal for a 30-day ceasefire to Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Arriving on Thursday near lunchtime, Mr Witkoff was left waiting after arriving in Moscow for at least eight hours, until he was invited into the Kremlin.

According to reports, this delay was due to an unexpected state visit from Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko. Is this simply a coincidence or a power play by Putin? We cannot say for certain, but it does suggest a deliberate act.

Embedded in the story is a video asking if a ceasefire in Ukraine is still viable. Putin and Lukashenko’s meeting could have been a classic display of political maneuvering by Putin.

The video concludes with Putin’s message that Russia will not agree to a ceasefire without some form of reciprocation.

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For further reading, consider the Blood moon visible across the globe, the UK economy’s contraction in January, and Tesla’s warning regarding disproportionate tariff impact. According to Russian outlet Radio Mayak, Mr. Putin concluded his meetings in the Kremlin at 1:30 a.m., and roughly half an hour later, Mr. Witkoff returned to the airport, presumably leaving Russia without Putin’s agreement but with a list of demands for Mr. Trump to consider.

Source: https://news.sky.com/story/trumps-fixer-was-made-to-wait-eight-hours-to-meet-putin-it-felt-like-a-classic-power-play-13328525