“Ceasefire First, Then Partnership”: White House Signals Hope for US-Russia Economic Ties Amid Ukraine Conflict

White House confirms “productive” US-Russia talks led by Trump envoy Steve Witkoff; economic cooperation on the table — but only if Moscow agrees to a ceasefire

Washington DC, April 16: The White House confirmed Tuesday that a “productive conversation” took place between the United States and Russia regarding the Ukraine war, suggesting that economic partnerships between the two nations could be a possibility — but only if a ceasefire is implemented first.

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt, addressing the media during a briefing, emphasized the conditional nature of any potential cooperation with Moscow.

“There is incentive for Russia to end this war, and perhaps that could be economic partnerships with the United States,” Leavitt said. “But we need to see a ceasefire first. The President and Presidential Envoy [Steve] Witkoff made that very clear to the Russians.”

Leavitt’s remarks follow a high-profile meeting in St. Petersburg between President Vladimir Putin and Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff, as reported by Al Jazeera. The four-hour discussion focused on what the Kremlin called “various aspects of the Ukrainian settlement.”

“Russia Wants to End This War”

“What I can tell you is that a productive conversation was had,” Leavitt noted, referring to Witkoff’s debriefing. “He believes that Russia wants to end this war, and the President believes that as well.”

The Biden administration has not been part of these talks. Donald Trump, who is expected to run in the upcoming presidential elections, has positioned himself as a potential peacemaker and has sharply criticized the current administration’s handling of the conflict.

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Trump Blames Biden, Says War Wouldn’t Have Happened Under His Watch

On Monday, Trump posted on Truth Social, declaring that “the war between Russia and Ukraine is Biden’s war, not mine.” He claimed that had the 2020 election not been “rigged,” the conflict would never have started.

“I had nothing to do with this war,” Trump wrote. “But I am working diligently to get the death and destruction to stop.”

He also slammed Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Joe Biden, calling their leadership failures key reasons for the escalation.

“There were so many ways of preventing it from ever starting. But that is the past. Now we have to get it to stop — and fast,” Trump added.

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Russia’s Sumy Strike Condemned

The White House also weighed in on Sunday’s deadly missile attack in Sumy, Ukraine, which killed at least 34 and injured over 100. Trump described the attack as “a mistake” and “a horrible thing,” while administration officials issued sterner condemnation.

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Arctic Investments, Rare Earths & Putin-Trump Meeting?

Talks between Witkoff and Putin are reportedly linked to future economic collaboration, including joint investments in the Arctic and Russian rare earth minerals — should geopolitical tensions ease.

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov has not ruled out a face-to-face meeting between Putin and Trump, suggesting that the backchannel diplomacy could evolve into more direct negotiations.

As efforts continue toward a ceasefire, the prospect of a new US-Russia relationship under a Trump presidency remains a contentious — and closely watched — development on the global stage.