Russian President Vladimir Putin held a three-hour meeting in the Kremlin on Wednesday with Steve Witkoff, the special envoy of U.S. President Donald Trump, two days before Washington’s deadline for Moscow to accept a peace framework on Ukraine or face new economic penalties. Kremlin foreign-policy aide Yuri Ushakov described the conversation as “useful and constructive,” saying the two men discussed the course of the Ukraine war and the potential for expanding a long-term U.S.–Russia strategic partnership. “From our side we sent certain signals; we also received signals from President Trump,” Ushakov told reporters, declining to elaborate. The White House has not commented on the talks. Trump has threatened additional sanctions on Russia and secondary tariffs on buyers of Russian energy if no progress toward a cease-fire is reached by Friday. The Kremlin said further details of the discussion will be released after Witkoff briefs the U.S. president.