President Donald Trump on Wednesday hailed talks between his envoy and Russian President Vladimir Putin over the Ukraine war, but US officials said sanctions would still be imposed on Moscow’s trading partners.
“Great progress was made!” Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform, adding that he had briefed some European allies on the talks between Steve Witkoff and Putin in Moscow.
“Everyone agrees this War must come to a close, and we will work towards that in the days and weeks to come.”
Minutes later, a senior US official said that “secondary sanctions” were still expected to be implemented on Friday.
The sanctions target Russia’s remaining trade partners, seeking to impede Moscow’s ability to survive already sweeping Western penalties.
Targeting Russian partners, such as China and India, would aim to stifle Russian exports but would also risk significant international disruption.
Trump, who had boasted he could end the Ukraine conflict within 24 hours of taking office, has given Russia until Friday to make progress towards peace or face new penalties.
The US president on Wednesday ordered steeper tariffs on Indian goods over New Delhi buying Russian oil.
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine since February 2022 has killed tens of thousands of people, destroyed swathes of the country and forced millions to flee their homes.
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© Agence France-Presse
