Donald Trump could hold an in-person meeting with Vladimir Putin and Volodymyr Zelensky after branding Russia an “extraordinary threat” to the US and slapping sanctions on India.
Putin held talks with Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff in Moscow today, the Kremlin said, just days before the White House’s deadline for Russia to reach a peace deal with Ukraine or potentially face severe economic penalties that could also hit countries buying its oil.
Since, Trump is understood to have told European leaders including Sir Keir Starmer that he could meet with Putin, before a potential trilateral meeting with the Ukrainian president. It remains unclear if Putin and Zelensky have agreed to the idea, which was reported by The New York Times earlier today.
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Trump-Putin meeting could happen next week
A meeting between Trump and Puutin could come as early as next week. It is not clear where potential talks could take place.
A report by NBC News says Witkoff told Trump that Putin would like to meet, but the timing of the talks could change. Since, Trump is reported to want Zelensky to attend to meet with Trump and discuss a ceasefire.
India condems Trump executive order
India called the tariffs “unfair, unjustified and unreasonable”.
Apart from India, Brazil has a tariff rate of 50 percent slapped on it by the US.
Trump hits India with tariff hike because of ‘extraordinary threat’ from Russia
Today, Trump imposed another 25 percent tariff on goods from India as a penalty for importing Russian oil. India and China’s purchasing of Russian crude oil is an important source of income for Putin’s Russia and its funding of its war on Ukraine.T
The executive order takes the US’s import tax on Indian goods to 50 percent. “I find that the Government of India is currently directly or indirectly importing Russian Federation oil,” Trump said in the order.
“The actions and policies of the Government of the Russian Federation continue to pose an unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security and foreign policy of the United States.”
The tariff rise is not expected to come in for another 21 days. India could negotiate lower tariffs in that period.
Developments come after Witkoff meeting with Putin
Russian President Vladimir Putin has held talks with President Donald Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff in Moscow today.
The meeting between Putin and Witkoff lasted about three hours.
Putin’s foreign affairs adviser Yuri Ushakov said the Russian president and Witkoff had a “useful and constructive conversation” that focused on the Ukrainian crisis and, in a nod towards improving relations between Washington and Moscow, “prospects for possible development of strategic co-operation between the US and Russia”.
Trump said in a post on his Truth Social media network that Witkoff “had a highly productive meeting” with Putin in which “great progress was made”.
Zelensky on call with European leaders
Zelensky was on the call with Starmer and other European leaders including NATO secretary general Mark Rutte and German chancellor Friedrich Merz.
On social media, Zelensky said the war must come to an end in a way that is done “honestly” and that leaders “discussed what was spelled out in Moscow” during the call.
“Ukraine will definitely defend its independence,” he said. “We all need a lasting and reliable peace. Russia must end the war that it itself started. Thank you to everyone who stands with Ukraine.”
Trump ‘proposes talks with Putin and Zelensky’
Trump is understood to have told European leaders including Sir Keir Starmer that he could meet with Putin, before a potential trilateral meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
It remains unclear if Putin and Zelensky have agreed to the idea, which was reported by The New York Times earlier today.
