Steve Witkoff, the U.S. envoy to the Middle East, is reportedly heading to Russia later this week, according to a source familiar with the situation.

This confirmation follows media reports indicating Witkoff’s plans for a second meeting with .

Axios reported that Witkoff previously met with Putin for three hours in mid-February during a Moscow trip aimed at securing the release of detained American Marc Fogel.

Around that time, the Kremlin suggested that might be forthcoming.

Currently, Witkoff, along with Secretary of State Marco Rubio and National Security Advisor Mike Waltz, are in Saudi Arabia. They are meeting with a senior Ukrainian delegation to discuss ending the conflict between Ukraine and Russia.

The in Saudi Arabia was expected to include Andriy Yermak, head of the presidential office; Andrii Sybiha, minister of foreign affairs; Pavlo Palisa, colonel of the armed forces of Ukraine and an advisor to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy; as well as Defense Minister Rustem Umerov, who participated in initial talks with Russia after the February 2022 invasion and survived a poisoning attack following a peace meeting in March of that year.

Rubio told reporters on Monday that the primary goal of the meeting is “to clearly establish their intentions and their publicly stated desire to reach a point where peace becomes a possibility.” He added that he needs assurance that Kyiv is prepared to make difficult decisions, such as ceding territory seized by Russia, to end the three-year war.

“I wouldn’t make any assumptions about whether we’ll have a minerals deal tomorrow,” Rubio also stated on a flight to Saudi Arabia. “While it’s an important subject, it’s not the main focus of the agenda.”

’ Caitlin McFall contributed to this report.

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