Trump envoy’s Russia meeting sparks hope for peace, even though it failed to produce a Ukraine ceasefire agreement. On Wednesday, President Donald Trump announced that his special envoy, Steve Witkoff, had a “highly productive” meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow.
Trump shared the update on Truth Social. He stated that “great progress was made” and described the meeting as a step forward. Shortly after, he updated European allies and reaffirmed a shared desire to end the war. “Everyone agrees this war must come to a close,” Trump wrote. “We will work toward that in the coming weeks.”
While Trump did not outline specific outcomes, a senior administration official later offered insight. “The meeting went well,” the official said. “The Russians want to continue engaging with the United States.” Nevertheless, the official confirmed that secondary sanctions against nations trading with Russia will proceed as planned on Friday. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy also spoke with Trump and European leaders following the meeting.
“We all want an honest end to this war,” Zelenskyy said. “Ukraine will defend its independence. We demand lasting and reliable peace.” Meanwhile, Russian advisor Yuri Ushakov acknowledged signals exchanged between Trump and Putin. However, he declined to share further details. He also mentioned discussions on a future “strategic partnership” between the U.S. and Russia.
Earlier that day, photographers captured Witkoff walking near the Kremlin. He was seen alongside Kirill Dmitriev, Putin’s envoy for investment and economic cooperation. Witkoff and Putin met just before noon in Moscow, according to Kremlin sources. Photos released showed the two smiling and shaking hands. Ushakov stood nearby during the meeting.
Witkoff’s team did not reveal the meeting’s objectives. However, sources hinted that he aimed to push for a halt in Russian airstrikes. The visit marked a final attempt to persuade Putin to ease his military campaign in Ukraine. Previously, Trump issued a warning about upcoming trade penalties. In July, he promised “very severe” tariffs if Russia refused a peace deal with Ukraine.
Sitting next to NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, Trump set a 50-day deadline. Later, he moved the deadline up to July 29, pushing sanctions into effect within ten days. That timeline now points to this Friday. However, Trump recently softened his tone. On Tuesday, during trade talks with India and China, he retracted the 100% tariff figure. “I never said a percentage,” Trump clarified. “We’ll see what happens soon. We have a meeting with Russia. We’re going to find out.”
Clearly, high-level diplomacy remains in motion. Trump envoy’s Russia meeting sparks hope for peace, but no one expects immediate breakthroughs. For now, leaders on all sides remain under pressure. Trump envoy’s Russia meeting sparks hope for peace, yet global eyes remain fixed on what comes next.
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