White Home envoy Witkoff meets with Putin as deadline looms for Russia to finish conflict

MOSCOW — White Home envoy Steve Witkoff met Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow on Wednesday, a part of a last-ditch effort by the Trump administration to persuade the Kremlin chief to make peace in Ukraine forward of a U.S.-imposed deadline Friday, or face new financial penalties.

It was not instantly clear if the 2 sides had made progress within the Kremlin assembly, which lasted three hours, based on Putin’s press staff.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio advised reporters he had spoken with Witkoff after the assembly and anticipated the administration would make “some announcements” later within the day — “maybe positive, maybe not,” he mentioned.

However in an indication that some new penalties over Russia’s conflict had been already underway, President Trump on Wednesday signed an govt order saying he would slap an additional 25% tariff on India over its purchases of Russian oil.

The Kremlin launched a video displaying Putin greeting Witkoff with a heat handshake. It was the 2 males’s fifth assembly this yr.

Yuri Ushakov, an adviser to Putin, was quoted by state media as calling the discussions “useful” and “constructive.”

Ushakov added that whereas the 2 sides had exchanged “signals” on the “Ukraine issue,” in addition they mentioned “perspectives for possible strategic cooperation” between the U.S. and Russia.

Trump is pissed off

The assembly got here as President Trump has grown more and more pissed off with Putin over his failure to droop assaults on Ukrainian cities regardless of months of U.S.-led peace efforts.

Trump had campaigned to return to workplace vowing he might leverage his private relationship with Putin developed over his first time period in workplace to finish the conflict in “24 hours.”

However Trump says his persistence has grown skinny with each day reviews of Ukrainian civilian casualties from Russian assaults.

“I go home, I tell the first lady, ‘You know, I spoke to Vladimir today. We had a wonderful conversation.’ And she said, ‘Oh really? Another city was just hit,'” mentioned Trump in a July 15 assembly with NATO Secretary-Basic Mark Rutte within the Oval Workplace.

That very same day Trump introduced a stark shift in his coverage towards Russia.

He mentioned the U.S. had reached a deal to promote American-made weapons to NATO allies in Europe, which might then ship U.S. weapons to Ukraine.

He additionally warned that Russia had 50 days to finish the conflict or face “severe” new financial penalties. He mentioned this included “secondary tariffs” on international locations shopping for Russian items.

Quickly Trump upped his ultimatum, saying final week that Russia had simply “10 or 12 days” earlier than to make peace. Finally, he set this Friday because the deadline.

Trump has defined that the plan is to starve the Russian conflict machine of gasoline income.

When requested later if there was a approach for Russia to keep away from the extra financial strain, Trump advised reporters Tuesday: “Yeah, get a deal where people stop getting killed.”

Trump additionally questioned whether or not any penalties might push Russia to vary course. “You know, they’re wily characters and they’re pretty good at avoiding sanctions,” Trump mentioned.

Russia shrugs

Putin has largely prevented addressing Trump’s threats and criticism in public, solely breaking his silence final week with a short, veiled reference to the U.S. chief.

“All disappointments stem from inflated expectations, as the saying goes,” Putin advised reporters final Friday following a go to to a monastery in northwest Russia.

“In order to solve the issue in a peaceful way,” continued Putin, “we need deep conversations, and not in public, but in the calm quiet of the negotiating process.”

After Trump introduced the shortened deadline for a peace deal, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov mentioned that Moscow had “taken note” of the U.S. chief’s feedback.

Peskov downplayed the financial threats, claiming the Russian economic system had grown largely “immune” to Western strain following greater than three years of sanctions.

Trump warms to Ukraine

Whereas President Trump has more and more criticized Russia, his relationship with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has improved dramatically since that they had an on-camera argument within the White Home again in February.

Within the newest signal, Zelenskyy mentioned Tuesday on social media that he had a “productive conversation” with Trump on the eve of Witkoff’s journey to Moscow.

“Of course, we spoke about sanctions against Russia,” Zelenskyy mentioned. “Their economy continues to decline, and that’s exactly why Moscow is so sensitive to this prospect and President Trump’s resolve.”

Zelenskyy additionally introduced that 4 European international locations have agreed to purchase U.S. weapons and ship them to Ukraine underneath the association Trump introduced final month.

“We already have commitments from the Netherlands, Sweden, Norway, and Denmark – over one billion dollars for American weapons that Ukraine will receive. Thank you! This cooperation with NATO countries will continue,” Zelenskyy mentioned.

The Netherlands mentioned it can ship American missiles and different elements for U.S. Patriot air protection methods already in Ukraine, valuing the help at greater than $500 million.

The Patriot batteries are Ukraine’s best technique of taking pictures down incoming Russian missiles. The Ukrainians say they urgently want further missiles for the Patriot batteries to defend in opposition to escalating Russian airstrikes.

“This helps Ukraine to defend itself and the rest of Europe against Russian aggression,” Dutch Protection Minister Ruben Brekelmans wrote on X.

Sweden, Norway and Denmark say they’ve collectively agreed to assist a package deal of U.S. weapons as nicely, this one for somewhat underneath $500 million. There was no rapid phrase on which U.S. arms they’d ship to Ukraine.

Trump got here into workplace in January saying he opposed further U.S. army assist for Ukraine. However on the White Home assembly with Rutte, Trump mentioned he supported NATO international locations shopping for U.S. weapons after which sending them on to Ukraine.

NPR’s Greg Myre contributed reporting from Kyiv, Ukraine.