Ahead of talks with US President Donald Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff on Thursday, Russian President Vladimir Putin expressed readiness to part with the frozen Russian assets for rebuilding war-torn Ukraine after a peace deal is struck between the two former Soviet republics. “Incidentally, the remaining funds from our frozen assets in the US could be used to rebuild territories damaged by the fighting after a peace treaty is concluded between Russia and Ukraine. American envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner are expected to meet with Putin on a possible Ukrainian solution on Thursday. Trump has varied between faulting Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy as impediments to peace, and has threatened to slap tariffs and sanctions on Russian trading partners in moments where he has blamed the Kremlin. This winter, Putin has stepped up strikes on Ukraine’s power sector, leaving millions of people without heating and water amid freezing temperatures.

Source: The Telegraph January 22, 2026 04:32 UTC