US President Donald Trump hailed talks between White House envoy Steve Witkoff and Russian President Vladimir Putin on the war in Ukraine as “highly productive” Wednesday, but hopes for a major breakthrough seemed dim.
“Everyone agrees this War must come to a close, and we will work towards that in the days and weeks to come,” Trump said. A Kremlin official told reporters that Putin had “transmitted some signals on the Ukrainian issue,” but left details vague.
Hours before the meeting, Trump penalized Russia by doubling sanctions on India over its purchases of Russian oil. The move comes ahead of a Washington-imposed deadline for Moscow to agree a ceasefire with Kyiv.
Putin reportedly doubts Trump will follow through on the ultimatum and believes that “compromise is pointless.”
A chart showing the number of Russian casualties in Ukraine
