Russian President Vladimir Putin held talks with U.S. President Donald Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff in Moscow on Wednesday, the Kremlin said, days before the White House’s deadline for Russia to reach a peace deal with Ukraine or potentially face severe economic penalties, including measures that could affect countries purchasing Russian oil.
The Kremlin did not immediately release further details of the meeting. Earlier in the day, Mr. Witkoff was seen taking a morning stroll through Zaryadye Park, near the Kremlin, accompanied by Kirill Dmitriev, the Russian President’s envoy for investment and economic cooperation, footage aired by TASS showed.
Mr. Dmitriev played a key role in three rounds of direct talks between delegations from Russia and Ukraine in Istanbul in recent months, as well as in discussions between Russian and U.S. officials. The negotiations have thus far failed to achieve progress toward ending the three-year conflict that began with Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Mr. Trump’s deadline for Mr. Putin expires on Friday. Washington has warned of “severe tariffs” and other economic penalties if hostilities do not cease.
The U.S. President has expressed mounting frustration with Mr. Putin over escalating Russian strikes on civilian infrastructure in Ukraine, which analysts say aim to weaken public morale. The attacks have continued despite Mr. Trump’s appeals in recent months for de-escalation.
Overnight from Tuesday to Wednesday, Russian forces struck a recreational facility in Ukraine’s southern Zaporizhzhia region, killing two people and injuring 12, including two children, regional Governor Ivan Fedorov said on Wednesday.
Russian forces launched at least four strikes in the area, reportedly using powerful glide bombs in the initial attack.
“There is zero military sense in this strike. Only cruelty to intimidate,” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in a post on Telegram.
Mr. Zelenskyy also said that Russian attacks targeted Ukraine’s power grid and heating gas infrastructure as the country prepares for winter.
Western analysts and Ukrainian officials have accused Moscow of stalling for time while continuing its territorial push. A renewed Russian offensive that began in spring is expected to continue through the autumn. While advancing more swiftly than last year’s campaign, the offensive has made limited territorial gains and has yet to seize any major city.
The situation on the front line remains critical for Ukrainian forces, though analysts note that defensive positions have not collapsed.
On Tuesday, Mr. Trump said, “we’ll see what happens” in relation to his threat to impose tariffs on countries purchasing Russian oil—measures that could significantly affect China and India.
“We have a meeting with Russia tomorrow,” Mr. Trump said. “We’re going to see what happens. We’ll make that determination at that time.” The President added that he had not publicly committed to a specific tariff rate.
The effort to escalate diplomatic and economic pressure on Moscow comes amid worsening U.S.-Russia ties and raises the risk of broader international tensions.
In an assessment released this week, the Washington-based Center for European Policy Analysis warned of “clear signs that the Kremlin is preparing for a broader confrontation with NATO”, citing increased Russian military activity along its western flank in recent years.
Mr. Putin has strengthened defence ties with China, North Korea, and Iran. Meanwhile, NATO announced on Tuesday that it had begun coordinating regular deliveries of large-scale Western arms packages to Ukraine. European allies and Canada are reportedly procuring most of the equipment from the United States, while the Trump administration has not committed to providing direct military aid.
Mr. Putin has given no indication of a willingness to make concessions. Instead, he and other senior Kremlin officials have continued to highlight Russia’s military capabilities.
Last week, Mr. Putin announced that Russia’s new hypersonic missile system, which he claims is capable of evading existing NATO defences, had entered service.
Former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev recently warned that the Ukraine conflict could escalate into direct armed confrontation between Russia and the United States. Mr. Trump responded by ordering the repositioning of two U.S. nuclear submarines.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov on Monday welcomed Mr. Witkoff’s visit. “We consider (talks with Witkoff) important, substantive and very useful,” he said.
Mr. Trump initially gave Moscow a 50-day deadline to end its offensive but later advanced the ultimatum as the Kremlin continued attacks on Ukrainian cities.
However, the U.S. President has expressed doubts over the effectiveness of past measures. On Sunday, he remarked that Russia had proven adept at circumventing sanctions. “They’re wily characters,” he said of Russian officials.
While the Kremlin maintains that international sanctions imposed since its February 2022 invasion have had limited impact, Kyiv insists the measures are eroding Moscow’s military capabilities and has called for their expansion.
Published – August 06, 2025 05:24 pm IST
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