Trump eyes in-person talks with Putin, Zelenskyy after envoy visit to Moscow

U.S. President Donald Trump announced that his special envoy Steve Witkoff had achieved "great progress" during a three-hour meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow, as Washington prepares to impose new sanctions on Friday.

U.S. President Donald Trump is reportedly preparing for an in-person meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin as early as next week, following diplomatic efforts led by his special envoy Steve Witkoff in Moscow.

According to The New York Times, which cited two people familiar with the planning, the proposed summit could also involve Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in a subsequent round of discussions aimed at ending the war in Ukraine.

Details of the potential meeting were shared during a phone call between Trump and several European leaders on Wednesday, the paper reported, hours after Witkoff returned from Russia.

While the White House has not officially confirmed the summit, Trump posted on Truth Social that he had spoken with allies following Witkoff’s “highly productive” talks with Putin.

"Everyone agrees this War must come to a close, and we will work towards that in the days and weeks to come," Trump wrote.

The former businessman, who returned to the presidency in January, has repeatedly pledged to bring a swift end to the Russia-Ukraine conflict. He has already held separate discussions with both Putin and Zelenskyy this year, though officials say Trump has grown increasingly frustrated with what he views as a lack of progress from the Kremlin.

Witkoff’s three-hour meeting in Moscow earlier this week was aimed at finding a breakthrough in the war, which began in February 2022 with Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

Meanwhile, Trump is continuing to escalate pressure on countries supporting Russia economically. On Wednesday, he imposed a 25% tariff on Indian imports, citing New Delhi’s ongoing oil purchases from Moscow. The tariffs raise duties on certain Indian goods to as high as 50%.

The White House said secondary sanctions on countries doing business with Russia are still expected to be announced on Friday.

U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has also warned Chinese officials that they could face similar penalties if they continue buying sanctioned Russian oil. Although no action has yet been taken against China, discussions remain ongoing as a 90-day tariff truce between Washington and Beijing nears its 12 August expiry.

The war has now entered its fourth year, with devastating humanitarian consequences. The United Nations estimates that more than 6.3 million Ukrainian refugees remain abroad. Inside the country, nearly 18 million people are in need of humanitarian aid.

Neither Kyiv nor Moscow has issued a statement on whether they would attend a proposed trilateral meeting with Trump.

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