Ukraine-Russia war latest: Trump’s special envoy Witkoff meets Putin for crunch ceasefire talks

The assembly between US particular envoy Steve Witkoff and Vladimir Putin has ended, in keeping with Russian media, citing the Kremlin.

The assembly lasted round three hours.

We can be bringing you the most recent details about the assembly as soon as it turns into clear what was mentioned.

Dozens of Russian drones attacked a fuel pumping station in southern Ukraine, a part of an LNG imports scheme from the US and Azerbaijan, Ukraine’s vitality ministry stated.

The ministry described the strike on the station close to the Ukraine-Romania border as directed “purely towards civilian infrastructure” and focusing on relations with Azerbaijan, the US and European companions.

“This can be a Russian strike purely on civilian infrastructure, focused towards the vitality sector and on the similar time towards relations with Azerbaijan, the USA and companions in Europe, towards the conventional lifetime of Ukrainians and all Europeans.” it stated in a press release on Telegram.

Ukraine’s Vitality Minister Svitlana Grinchuk stated: “The large Russian drone assault on a key compressor station on the Trans-Balkan route signifies that Moscow will use all out there means and levers to destroy the vitality independence of Europeans and various fuel provide routes.

“If the Russians are allowed to strike at our vitality infrastructure and fuel routes with impunity, then no infrastructure facility in Europe can be protected. Impunity solely expands terror. That’s the reason Russia have to be held accountable for what it has accomplished.”

On Tuesday, Donald Trump stated, “We’ll see what occurs” concerning his menace to impose tariffs on nations that import Russian oil, which might considerably enhance import taxes on China and India.

“We’ve a gathering with Russia tomorrow,” Mr Trump stated.

“We’ll see what occurs. We’ll make that willpower at the moment.”

The president stated that he has not publicly dedicated to a particular tariff price.

Vladimir Putin has given no trace that he could be able to make concessions.

As an alternative, the Russian chief and senior Kremlin officers have talked up the nation’s navy power.

Mr Trump initially gave Moscow a 50-day deadline, however later moved up his ultimatum because the Kremlin continued to bomb Ukrainian cities.

Nonetheless, the US president himself doubted their effectiveness, saying Sunday that Russia has confirmed to be “fairly good at avoiding sanctions.” “They’re wily characters,” he stated of the Russians.

The Kremlin has insisted that worldwide sanctions imposed since its February 2022 invasion of its neighbour have had a restricted influence.

Vladimir Putin has held talks with Donald Trump’s particular envoy Steve Witkoff within the Kremlin – and Mr Witkoff’s relaxed manner has raised some eyebrows.

The Kremlin didn’t instantly present extra particulars of the assembly, however earlier at present, Mr Witkoff took an early morning stroll by way of Zaryadye Park, a stone’s throw from the Kremlin, with Kirill Dmitriev, the Russian president’s envoy for funding and financial cooperation.

The US particular envoy might be seen along with his sun shades on as he took a leisurely stroll with the person dubbed as “Putin’s Trump whisperer”.

Within the video of his assembly with the Russian president, Mr Witkoff might be seen smiling as he shook arms with Mr Putin. He was holding a small notepad embossed with the Presidential Seal of the USA. This can be a image of the US presidency, primarily used on official correspondence from the President to Congress.

Regardless of his relaxed manner, Mr Trump’s more and more hardened rhetoric in the direction of Mr Putin signifies the frustration over the dearth of progress in the direction of peace. The US president has threatened to impose heavy tariffs on international locations that purchase Russian exports.

It’s also not clear what Russia would possibly provide to Mr Witkoff to stave off Mr Trump’s menace.

Sources within the Kremlin have additionally prompt that the Russian president is unlikely to bow to Trump’s sanctions ultimatum as a result of he believes profitable the warfare is extra necessary than enhancing relations with the US.

Bloomberg and unbiased Russian information outlet The Bell reported that the Kremlin would possibly suggest a moratorium on air strikes by Russia and Ukraine – an concept that was talked about final week by Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko throughout a gathering with Putin.

Such a transfer, if agreed, would fall nicely in need of the total and fast ceasefire that Ukraine and the US have been searching for for months. However it will provide some aid to each side.

Because the two sides resumed direct peace talks in Might, Russia has carried out its heaviest air assaults of the warfare, killing at the least 72 folks within the capital Kyiv alone.

Trump final week known as the Russian assaults “disgusting”.

Ukraine continues to strike Russian refineries and oil depots, which it has hit many instances.

Ukraine launched 244 drones into Russia in a single day, the Russian defence ministry has stated.

Earlier, Ukraine’s Air Pressure stated Russia launched 45 drones in the direction of Ukraine in a single day (9.31am put up),

The Russian navy additionally took accountability for a drone assault on fuel infrastructure and a primary fuel pipeline in Ukraine’s southern Odesa area, including that it attacked the infrastructure because it was supplying navy amenities.

Volodymyr Zelensky earlier condemned the “vile” assault (8.23am put up).

Three years after Vladimir Putin launched his full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the USA and European Union nonetheless import billions of euros price of Russian vitality and commodities, starting from liquefied pure fuel to enriched uranium.

Europe imports from Russia

Because the starting of the warfare, commerce between the EU and Russia has drastically contracted resulting from EU sanctions and import restrictions on some merchandise. Imports from Russia fell by 86% from the primary quarter of 2022 by way of the primary quarter of this yr, in keeping with the most recent knowledge from Eurostat.

Imports of products from Russia within the first quarter of 2025 totalled 8.74 billion euros ($10.11 billion), down from 30.58 billion euros 4 years earlier. Since January 2022, the EU has imported 297 billion euros’ price of Russian items.

The EU, nonetheless, continues to buy oil, nickel, pure fuel, fertiliser, iron, and metal from Russia.

US imports from Russia fell to $2.50 billion within the first half of 2025 from $14.14 billion 4 years earlier, in keeping with US Census Bureau and US Bureau of Financial Evaluation knowledge.

Since January 2022, the U.S. has imported $24.51 billion of Russian items.

US particular envoy Steve Witkoff has met with Vladimir Putin in Moscow in an try to persuade the Russian president to signal a ceasefire settlement with Ukraine.