Trump talking to Zelenskyy hours after Putin-Witkoff meeting – Europe live | Europe

World awaits Trump’s subsequent transfer as Russia ceasefire deadline approaches

Patrick Wintour

Diplomatic editor

After taking six months to conclude that Vladimir Putin might not be a kindred transactional authoritarian chief however an ideological nationalist searching for the return of what “belongs to Russia”, the deadline Donald Trump set for the Russian president to agree a Ukraine ceasefire or face US sanctions on oil exports arrives on Friday.

What Trump – who some had claimed was a Russian asset – does subsequent to punish Putin might outline his presidency.

It’s a exceptional turnaround and one which seasoned Trump watchers corresponding to Michael McFaul, the previous US ambassador to Russia, mentioned that they had by no means anticipated.

However because the deadline approaches, there’s lingering scepticism about how far Trump will go. He has dispatched his particular envoy, Steve Witkoff, to Moscow for the fifth time for last-minute talks and on Friday Trump admitted he didn’t assume sanctions would have a lot affect as Russians are “wily characters and fairly good at avoiding sanctions”.

He has additionally given himself most room for political manoeuvre by guaranteeing the US Senate didn’t cross laws earlier than its summer season recess that will have empowered him to slap bone-crushing 500% tariffs on exports from nations that import Russian oil, principally India, China, Brazil and Turkey.

The one prerequisite is that Trump should not again off, McFaul mentioned. “Making threats and never carrying by means of with them is likely one of the greatest errors you can also make in diplomacy.” The previous ambassador recalled George Shultz, the good Reagan-era US secretary of state, saying “by no means level a gun at anybody except you are ready to shoot”.

Each Axios and Reuters are reporting that US president Donald Trump is now talking with the Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

Let’s see what this dialog brings.

US state secretary Marco Rubio mentioned he was hopeful of constructing bulletins afterward Wednesday on whether or not potential sanctions in opposition to Russia would nonetheless proceed this week, Reuters reported.

Rubio mentioned he has spoken to US particular envoy Steve Witkoff, who’s on his means again from a visit to Russia, and would have extra discussions all through the day.

“We’ll have extra to say about that afterward right this moment,” Rubio mentioned when requested if sanctions on Russia would go into impact later this week, including that there would hopefully be some bulletins quickly.

Possibly constructive, perhaps not.

Poland’s Nawrocki needs to see military develop to 300,000, largest Nato military in Europe

Jakub Krupa

As we await extra updates from Moscow or Washington, let’s briefly return to Warsaw for my first full report on Karol Nawrocki’s inauguration as the brand new Polish president.

In the previous couple of minutes, he has been formally taking on the position of the army commander in chief.

Addressing troopers in Warsaw, he mentioned his ambition is to develop the Polish military to “not less than 300,000” from round 210,000 now, making it the most important Nato military in Europe.

In the meantime, US media outlet Axios is reporting that Trump is predicted to talk with Zelenskyy later right this moment, discussing the subsequent steps after Witkoff’s assembly with Putin in Moscow.

One to observe.

In the meantime, Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy has mentioned he visited Ukrainian troops close to the frontline in Sumy area, speaking to commanders in regards to the scenario on the bottom.

“There have been reviews on the liberation of Andriyivka and Kindrativka within the Sumy area, Russian makes an attempt at counterattacks, our subsequent steps to liberate Ukrainian land,” he mentioned.

He added they “talked intimately in regards to the wants, the extent of help typically, the coaching of recruits and instructors.”

Zelenskyy additionally thanked the troopers for his or her service, awarding a few of them with state medals.

Oh.

Whereas we haven’t heard from any US officers on the Kremlin assembly simply but, the White Home has simply introduced an extra 25% tariff on India for “immediately or not directly importing Russian … oil.”

The tariff was launched by means of a presidential govt order signed, with right this moment’s date, by US president Donald Trump.

The order, posted on the White House’s website, says that:

“I’ve acquired further data from numerous senior officers on, amongst different issues, the actions of the Authorities of the Russian Federation with respect to the scenario in Ukraine.

After contemplating this extra data, amongst different issues, I discover that the nationwide emergency described in Govt Order 14066 continues and that the actions and insurance policies of the Authorities of the Russian Federation proceed to pose an uncommon and extraordinary menace to the nationwide safety and overseas coverage of the USA.”

Concluding, it mentioned:

“To cope with the nationwide emergency described in Govt Order 14066, I decide that it’s mandatory and acceptable to impose an extra advert valorem responsibility on imports of articles of India, which is immediately or not directly importing Russian Federation oil.”

The Russian rouble and markets held their breath as they awaited the result of Putin’s talks with Witkoff, Reuters famous.

“The market is awaiting the result of the assembly between Vladimir Putin and Steve Witkoff,” T-Financial institution’s analysts mentioned.

Many analysts imagine that the rouble is overvalued and awaiting a set off to weaken.

“Within the coming days, the foreign money market will likely be ready for information from the go to of the US president’s particular consultant and clarification of the scenario concerning attainable US sanctions,” mentioned PSB Financial institution’s Evgeny Loktykhov.

US envoy Steve Witkoff meets Putin as Trump’s Ukraine deadline approaches

Shaun Walker

in Kyiv

Russian information businesses mentioned the talks between the US particular envoy and the Russian president ended after about three hours, and Witkoff’s convoy was seen leaving the Kremlin. There was no rapid assertion from both facet on how the talks had gone.

The go to is Witkoff’s fifth journey to Moscow in his capability as Trump’s lead negotiator with the Kremlin, and comes as Trump has begun to speak robust on Russia for the primary time since taking on the presidency.

Trump cut short an earlier 50-day deadline to Putin, claiming he noticed no need within the Kremlin to vary its behaviour and calling latest strikes that killed civilians in Kyiv “disgusting”. He has now promised to introduce secondary tariffs on nations that import Russian oil if no progress is made by Friday.

After Trump made the specter of additional sanctions, the previous Russian president Dmitry Medvedev claimed the tough rhetoric might result in a direct battle between Russia and the US. In response, Trump ordered two nuclear submarines to be repositioned.

Putin has given little indication that he is ready to make concessions or prepared to regulate Russia’s core battle goals. Nonetheless, reviews by Bloomberg and the unbiased Russian information outlet the Bell have recommended that the Kremlin might suggest a halt to long-range strikes by either side as an providing to Trump.

Each Trump and Kyiv have been calling for a full and unconditional ceasefire, to permit negotiations to start, however a halt to long-range strikes might supply welcome respiration area to either side.

Within the first briefing from the Russian facet, the previous Russian ambassador to the US and Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov advised reporters the talks had been “helpful and constructive.”

He mentioned Russia “acquired some indicators from Trump” and “despatched some indicators” in response, however didn’t elaborate on what they had been.

He mentioned Putin and Witkoff additionally mentioned the prospects for the event of the “strategic partnership” between the US and Russia.

After just below three hours, Russian information company Ria is reporting that the assembly between Vladimir Putin and US envoy Steve Witkoff has now concluded.

Let’s wait to see what, if something, we hear in briefing from either side of the dialog.

In different occasions that occurred simply earlier than the talks between Witkoff and Putin, a person accused of passing Russian satellite tv for pc secrets and techniques to the USA has been arrested for suspected treason and positioned in pre-trial detention, a court docket within the Russian metropolis of Kaliningrad mentioned on Wednesday.

Reuters mentioned the suspect was solely recognized by a single letter, with the court docket saying he was a former worker of an organization producing digital engines for area satellites.

It mentioned he was suspected of accumulating and storing details about the agency’s know-how on behalf of US intelligence companies between July 2021 and December 2023.

The company famous that the person might face a possible sentence of life imprisonment.

Hours earlier than the assembly, Russia has struck a gasoline facility in Ukraine’s Odesa area, with the Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, saying it was an try and undermine Ukrainian preparations for winter, Reuters reported.

“This was a deliberate blow to our preparations for the heating season, completely cynical, like each Russian blow to the vitality sector,” Zelenskyy mentioned on Telegram.

Ukraine has confronted a critical gasoline scarcity since a sequence of devastating Russian missile strikes this 12 months, which considerably diminished home gasoline manufacturing.

The Russian defence ministry confirmed the assaults on gasoline transportation services in Ukraine, the Tass state information company reported.