Thursday, August 7, 2025 - New sanctions against Russia are still expected to take effect on Friday, according to the White House, despite President Donald Trump describing a meeting between U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff and Russian President Vladimir Putin as “highly productive.” stating he is open to meeting 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 familiar with the matter, Trump
informed European leaders via phone that he intends to meet with Putin
soon—potentially next week—followed by a trilateral meeting with Ukrainian
President Volodymyr Zelensky. A European government official confirmed the
contents of the call.
A White House official acknowledged Trump’s intent but noted
that organizing such meetings on short notice would be challenging due to the
diplomatic and logistical preparations required.
“The Russians have expressed interest in meeting with
President Trump, and the president is open to engaging with both President
Putin and President Zelensky. President Trump wants this brutal war to end,”
said White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt.
Another official reiterated that the new round of secondary
sanctions targeting Russia will still be implemented on Friday.
The three-hour Putin-Witkoff meeting came 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, meaning a loss of buyers would significantly impact
Moscow’s ability to sustain its military operations in Ukraine.
Russian state media described the meeting as “constructive
and useful,” with reports 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.
“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 in Ukraine, 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 their 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 plays a critical
role in Ukraine’s energy network and in 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.”
Ukraine also 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 support. The U.S. has
not yet officially commented on the agreement.
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