US Imposes Secondary Sanctions Against Russia Despite Positive Diplomatic Meeting, Amid Escalating Attacks in Ukraine
The United States Special Envoy Steve Witkoff met with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday, a discussion that both parties deemed constructive and useful, according to Russian state media TASS. Despite the positive outcome of the meeting, secondary sanctions against Russia are set to be implemented on Friday.
The encounter took place after President Donald Trump gave Moscow a deadline for agreeing to a ceasefire or facing tough secondary sanctions, which would impose a 100% tariff on countries purchasing Russian oil.
Following the meeting, Putin conveyed signals regarding the Ukrainian issue to the United States, with corresponding messages received from President Trump, as reported by RIA Novosti. The Kremlin has pledged to disclose further details after Witkoff reports back to Trump.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced that there would be imminent announcements following the meeting, while President Trump spoke with Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky both before and after Witkoff’s meeting with Putin.
Trump’s patience with Russia’s resistance to his peace efforts has been wearing thin, especially since the last meeting between Witkoff and Putin in April, which coincided with an escalation of Russian attacks on Ukraine. Trump has criticized these attacks as “disgusting” and has accused Putin of peddling “bullshit” in their phone conversations.
In a move unrelated to the diplomatic discussions, Trump imposed an additional 25% tariff on India for its imports of Russian oil, as per a document posted on the White House website. Earlier in the week, Trump had threatened India with these new tariffs, accusing them of aiding Russia’s war efforts in Ukraine.
Meanwhile, Ukraine has been suffering from another spate of Russian attacks overnight into Wednesday, resulting in at least six fatalities and numerous injuries. The bombing of a recreation center in the southeastern city of Zaporizhzhia and an attack on a gas compressor station were among these assaults.
In response to this violence, Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky has condemned these attacks as senseless acts of cruelty intended to instill fear. The US State Department has reportedly approved a $200m deal that will allow Ukraine’s partners to purchase military supplies on its behalf, including technical support for heavy artillery, though the U.S. has yet to comment officially.
This article has been updated to reflect the latest developments.