The White House stated that new sanctions against Russia are still set to take effect on Friday, even after President Donald Trump described a recent meeting between U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff and Russian President Vladimir Putin as “highly productive.” Trump also indicated he’s open to meeting with Putin as early as next week.
On social media, Trump wrote that “great progress was made” during Wednesday’s meeting and noted that some European allies have already been briefed. According to multiple sources, Trump informed European leaders via phone that he intends to meet with Putin soon—potentially next week—followed by a trilateral meeting that would also include Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
A White House official acknowledged Trump’s intent but cautioned that organizing such meetings on short notice would be challenging due to the diplomatic and logistical preparations required. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed the president’s willingness to engage. “The Russians have expressed interest in meeting with President Trump, and the president is open to engaging with both President Putin and President Zelensky,” Leavitt said. “President Trump wants this brutal war to end.”
Despite the diplomatic progress, another official reiterated that the new round of secondary sanctions targeting Russia will still be implemented on Friday. This comes after Trump issued a ceasefire ultimatum to Moscow, warning of severe secondary sanctions, including a 100% tariff on oil imports from countries that continue to buy Russian oil. Energy exports make up roughly a quarter of Russia’s government revenue, and a loss of buyers would significantly impact Moscow’s ability to sustain its military operations in Ukraine.
Russian state media described the three-hour Putin-Witkoff meeting as “constructive and useful,” indicating that both sides exchanged “signals” on the conflict in Ukraine. The Kremlin stated it would release more details after Witkoff delivers a full report to Trump.
Following the meeting, Zelensky said he believes Russia may now be more open to the idea of a ceasefire, attributing the shift to international pressure. “The pressure on Russia is working. But the key is to ensure they don’t deceive us in the details—neither us, nor the United States,” Zelensky said during his nightly address. Trump had also spoken with Zelensky the day before the meeting to discuss the sanctions strategy.
U.S. envoy Witkoff was welcomed in Moscow by Russian investment envoy Kirill Dmitriev. Footage from the Kremlin showed Witkoff shaking hands with Putin before their talks.
Frustrated by Russia’s continued aggression, Trump has expressed growing impatience. Since the last Witkoff-Putin meeting in April, Russian forces have escalated missile and drone attacks across Ukrainian cities. Trump has publicly condemned the assaults as “disgusting” and accused Putin of spreading “bullsh*t” during heated phone exchanges.
Before Wednesday’s meeting, Trump stated he would decide on further sanctions depending on the outcome of the talks. However, just hours after the Moscow meeting, the U.S. imposed an additional 25% tariff on Indian goods in retaliation for India’s continued purchases of Russian oil. “India is not only buying massive amounts of Russian oil, but also reselling it for profit. They don’t care how many people are being killed in Ukraine,” Trump wrote online.
As diplomatic efforts continued, Ukraine faced another wave of deadly Russian attacks. Overnight into Wednesday, at least six people were killed, including two in a strike on a recreation center in Zaporizhzhia that also wounded 12 others, four of them children. Zelensky condemned the attack, saying it had “zero military sense” and amounted to “cruelty aimed at instilling fear.”
Meanwhile, a key gas compressor station in Novosilske, near the Romanian border, was hit by dozens of drones. The station is critical to Ukraine’s energy network and to receiving energy imports from the U.S. and Azerbaijan. “Hundreds of families were left without gas,” Zelensky said. “This was a deliberate blow to our preparations for the heating season—absolutely cynical, like every Russian strike on our energy infrastructure.”
Despite the attacks, Ukraine announced that the U.S. State Department had approved a $200 million deal allowing its allies to purchase military supplies and technical support for Kyiv, including heavy artillery. The U.S. has not yet officially commented on the agreement. On Tuesday, Zelensky welcomed pledges from NATO members totaling more than $1 billion. The package is part of a joint initiative involving the Netherlands, Denmark, Norway, and Sweden to procure U.S.-made weapons for Ukraine.
