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President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin held a conversation during the family photo session at the APEC Summit in Danang, Vietnam, on November 11, 2017. —Reuters
- The U.S. president has threatened to impose sanctions on countries purchasing Russian exports.
- Talks between Washington and Moscow concluded after several hours of discussion.
- An aide to Putin indicated that both sides exchanged “signals” during the meetings.
A White House official revealed on Wednesday that President Donald Trump may meet Vladimir Putin as early as next week. The United States also plans to implement secondary sanctions on Friday to pressure Moscow into ending its invasion of Ukraine. If scheduled, this would be the first face-to-face encounter between a sitting U.S. and Russian leader since Joe Biden met Putin in Geneva in June 2021—about eight months before Russia launched its largest European invasion since World War II by attacking Ukraine.
Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky haven’t met since December 2019, and their relationship remains tense and openly contemptuous. The New York Times reported that during a call with European leaders, Trump expressed his intention to meet with Putin and then follow up with a trilateral discussion involving Zelensky. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed that, responding to the report, stating, “The Russians expressed their desire to meet with President Trump, and the President is open to meeting with both President Putin and President Zelensky.” The potential Trump-Putin meeting could happen as soon as next week.
A German government spokesperson also mentioned that Trump shared details about discussions with Russia during a call with the German chancellor and other European officials. These developments come after a Wednesday meeting between Putin and U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff, which Trump claimed was highly productive and marked by “great progress.” This meeting occurred just two days before Trump’s deadline for Russia to accept peace in Ukraine or face new sanctions.
Trump’s frustration with Putin has grown due to the lack of progress in peace negotiations. He has threatened to slap hefty tariffs on nations buying Russian exports, including oil. A White House official noted that, despite positive talks and Moscow’s eagerness to continue engaging, secondary sanctions—once threatened by Trump—are still expected to be activated this Friday, though details were not disclosed.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio told Fox Business that more efforts are necessary to reach an agreement. “Today was a positive step, but there’s still a lot of work ahead,” he said, emphasizing the many obstacles remaining and the hope to overcome them soon.
Earlier, a Kremlin aide described Witkoff’s discussions with Putin as “useful and constructive.” They met for approximately three hours on a last-minute mission to find a breakthrough in the ongoing conflict, which has lasted three and a half years following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Yuri Ushakov, a Kremlin foreign policy advisor, stated that both sides exchanged “signals” on Ukraine and discussed the possibility of strategic cooperation—with specifics to be reported back to Trump.
Zelensky expressed hope that pressure on Russia has been effective and that Moscow has become more receptive to a ceasefire. “It seems like Russia is now more inclined to a ceasefire. The pressure is working. However, the main point is that they don’t deceive us on the details—neither us nor the US,” he said in his nightly address.
On social media platform X, Zelensky mentioned that he discussed Witkoff’s visit to Russia with Trump, reaffirming Ukraine’s commitment to a just peace and its continued defense of its sovereignty. “Ukraine will definitely defend its independence. We all desire a lasting and reliable peace. Russia must end the war it started,” he stated, adding that European leaders had joined the call with Trump.
Trump shared on Truth Social that he updated some European allies on Witkoff’s recent discussions.
Pressure on India
Trump took a significant step on Wednesday by imposing an additional 25% tariff on imports from India, citing New Delhi’s continued purchases of Russian oil. The tariff hike raises some Indian goods’ duties to as high as 50%, making it among the steepest tariffs faced by any U.S. trading partner. The Kremlin has criticized such threats, calling them illegal.
Ushakov, present at the meeting, said that “signals” regarding Ukraine were exchanged by both sides. Reports from Bloomberg and The Bell, an independent Russian outlet, suggest that Russia might propose a temporary moratorium on airstrikes by both Russia and Ukraine—an idea last floated by Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko during a meeting with Putin. Although such a move would fall short of a full ceasefire, it could provide a measure of relief for both nations.
Air Strikes and Conflict
Since direct peace talks resumed in May, Russia has intensified its air attacks, leading to the deaths of at least 72 civilians in Kyiv alone. Trump condemned these strikes as “disgusting.” Ukraine continues targeting Russian refineries and oil depots repeatedly. Zelensky’s chief of staff, Andriy Yermak, stated that a comprehensive ceasefire and leaders’ summit are necessary; “The war must stop, and for now, this is on Russia,” he posted on Telegram.
It’s unlikely Putin will accept Trump’s sanctions threat, as he believes he’s gaining the upper hand in the war. His military objectives take priority over improving US-Russia relations, according to sources close to the Kremlin. These sources also indicated that Putin is skeptical about additional US sanctions after multiple rounds of economic penalties over the past three and a half years.
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