Despite US threats, Russia has continued to attack Ukraine
The Kremlin described the three-hour meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and US special envoy Steve Witkoff as “constructive.” This comes as the deadline set by US President Donald Trump for ceasefire approaches.
Yuri Ushakov, a top Russian foreign policy aide, said that Putin shared “signals” with Witkoff regarding the war in Ukraine and received “corresponding signals” from the US side. Ushakov said more details would be shared after Witkoff returned to brief President Trump.
President Trump has warned Russia that it could face strict new sanctions if it does not make real efforts to stop what he called the “horrible war” in Ukraine. He also threatened secondary sanctions on any country that continues to trade with Russia.
Neither the US nor Ukraine made any official comment immediately after the talks. However, ahead of the meeting, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said that Russia would only seriously consider peace if it started to run out of money. He welcomed Trump’s warnings about harsher sanctions and trade penalties, especially on countries buying Russian oil.
Photos from Russian media showed Putin and Witkoff smiling and shaking hands during the meeting. Although the two men have met before, expectations for a peace deal by Friday are low. Russia continues to launch large-scale airstrikes on Ukraine, despite pressure from Trump.
Before taking office in January, Trump had promised to end the war in just one day. But the war has continued, and Trump’s tone has become more critical of Russia. “We thought we had it settled,” Trump said recently, “and then President Putin starts launching rockets into cities like Kyiv.”
So far, three rounds of peace talks between Ukraine and Russia in Istanbul have failed. Moscow’s demands remain unacceptable to both Ukraine and its Western allies. Russia has also refused to hold a direct meeting between Putin and Zelensky.
Meanwhile, the US has approved $200 million in military aid to Ukraine, following a call between Trump and Zelensky. Ukraine continues to use drones to hit Russian energy facilities, while Russia targets Ukrainian cities.
Last week, a Russian missile strike killed 32 people in Kyiv, the deadliest attack since the invasion began. On Wednesday, a strike on a holiday camp in Zaporizhzhia killed two and injured 12. Zelensky called the attack an act of cruelty meant to terrify civilians.
Also Read: Deadline Diplomacy: US Pushes Russia for Peace Deal or Economic Punishment
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