U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff met with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow earlier today for roughly three hours—the first direct talks between the U.S. and Russia in several months. The meeting focused on potential negotiations to end the ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine, as well as President Trump’s looming August 8 deadline for imposing major sanctions on Russia. The Kremlin described the talks as “useful and constructive,” while neither Witkoff nor the White House has issued a statement.

US State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce…