Putin, US envoy hold ‘constructive’ talks as Trump’s sanctions deadline nears

US envoy Steve Witkoff held “useful and constructive” talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday, a Kremlin aide said, two days before the expiry of a deadline set by President Donald Trump for Russia to agree to peace in Ukraine or face new sanctions.

Witkoff met Putin for around three hours on a last-minute mission to seek a breakthrough in the 3-1/2-year war that began with Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

Kremlin foreign policy aide Yuri Ushakov said the two sides had exchanged “signals” on the Ukraine issue and discussed the possibility of developing strategic cooperation between Moscow and Washington, but declined to give more details until Witkoff had reported back to Trump.

Russian investment envoy Kirill Dmitriev, who earlier greeted Witkoff on arrival and strolled with him in a park near the Kremlin, posted on social media, “Dialogue will prevail.”

Trump, increasingly frustrated with Putin over the lack of progress towards peace, has threatened to impose heavy tariffs on countries that buy Russian exports.

He is exerting particular pressure on India, which along with China is a huge buyer of Russian oil. The Kremlin says threats to penalise countries that trade with Russia are illegal.

It was not clear what Russia might offer to Witkoff in order to stave off Trump’s threat.

Bloomberg and independent Russian news outlet The Bell reported that the Kremlin might propose a moratorium on air strikes by Russia and Ukraine — an idea that was mentioned last week by Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko during a meeting with Putin.

Such a move, if agreed, would fall well short of the full and immediate ceasefire that Ukraine and the US have been seeking for months. But it would offer some relief to both sides.

Ukraine continues to strike Russian refineries and oil depots, which it has hit many times. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Wednesday that Russia had attacked a gas pumping station in southern Ukraine in what he called a deliberate and cynical blow to preparations for the winter heating season. Russia said it had hit gas infrastructure supplying the Ukrainian military. Zelenskyy’s chief of staff said that a full ceasefire and a leaders’ summit were required.

Later in the day, a White House official said Washington still planned to proceed with secondary sanctions on Friday.

“The Russians are eager to continue engaging with the United States. The secondary sanctions are still expected to be implemented on Friday,” the White House official said.