Trump says he intends to meet Putin and Zelensky next week

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 Wednesdays 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 soonpotentially next weekfollowed by a trilateral meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. A European government official confirmed the contents of the call.A White House official acknowledged Trumps 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 Russias government revenue, meaning a loss of buyers would significantly impact Moscows 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 dont deceive us in the detailsneither 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 Russias 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 Wednesdays 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 Indias continued purchases of Russian oil. India is not only buying massive amounts of Russian oil, but also reselling it for profit. They dont 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 othersfour 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 Ukraines 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 seasonabsolutely 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. 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. The post Trump says he intends to meet Putin and Zelensky next week appeared first on Linda Ikeji Blog.