ISTANBUL

US President Donald Trump on Saturday dismissed media reports alleging that Russian President Vladimir Putin made his special envoy, Steve Witkoff, wait for hours before their meeting, calling the claims “fake news.”

In a Truth Social post, Trump accused the media of dishonesty, stating, “Last night I read that President Vladimir Putin of Russia kept my Highly Respected Ambassador and Special Envoy, Steve Witkoff, waiting for over nine hours when, in fact, there was no wait whatsoever.”

Trump said Witkoff engaged with other Russian representatives in the meantime and described the meetings as “very productive.”

The US president dismissed the claims as an attempt to “demean” his administration and called media organizations "sick degenerates."

The reports, which alleged Witkoff waited 8-9 hours in a “classic Putin power play,” were widely circulated but denied by Trump, who said the media is losing "ratings, audience, and respect."

Putin met with Witkoff on Thursday.

“There is a very good chance that this horrible, bloody war can finally come to an end,” Trump said on Friday, following to recent discussions with the Russian president.

Putin has welcomed a US-backed 30-day ceasefire plan in Ukraine but insists any truce must lead to a final settlement addressing the root causes of the conflict.

Since Trump’s inauguration, the US has been actively involved in diplomatic efforts to resolve the war, engaging in talks with both Kyiv and Moscow.

Earlier this week, US and Ukrainian delegations met in the Saudi city of Jeddah. While Ukraine agreed to the temporary truce, the US resumed intelligence sharing and military aid it had suspended after a public spat between Trump, US Vice President JD Vance and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the White House.

Earlier, American and Russian officials met in Riyadh on Feb. 18 and agreed to lay the groundwork for peace talks and improve bilateral relations.

The two sides then met in Istanbul on Feb. 27 to normalize operations of their embassies.