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Former President Donald Trump has stated there is a “good chance” he may meet with the Russian and Ukrainian heads of state, following what he characterized as “very good talks” between his envoy and Vladimir Putin earlier in the day.
When questioned at the White House about whether the two leaders had agreed to such a summit, the former US president indicated a “very good prospect” existed, without providing further details.
Earlier, the Kremlin issued a brief statement regarding the talks between Putin and Steve Witkoff, with a foreign policy aide mentioning the exchange of “signals” between the two sides as part of “constructive” discussions in Moscow.
The meeting occurred days before Trump’s deadline for Russia to agree to a ceasefire in Ukraine, or potentially face new sanctions.
Trump’s remarks in the Oval Office on Wednesday followed a post on his Truth Social platform, where he mentioned briefing some of America’s European allies after the aforementioned talks.
“Everyone agrees this War must come to a close, and we will work towards that in the days and weeks to come,” Trump stated.
The White House also conveyed to the BBC that Russia had expressed interest in a meeting with the former US president, and that he was “open to meeting with both President Putin and President Zelensky”.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, meanwhile, communicated that he had spoken with Trump about Witkoff’s visit, with European leaders also participating in the call.
Zelensky has cautioned that Russia would only make serious moves towards peace if it began to experience financial constraints.
Trump has indicated that Russia could face significant sanctions or secondary sanctions imposed on entities trading with it should it fail to take steps toward ending the war.
The discussions between Putin and Witkoff on Wednesday appeared cordial, despite Trump’s growing dissatisfaction with the lack of progress in negotiations between Moscow and Kyiv.
Images circulated by Russian media outlets depicted Putin and Witkoff – who have met on several prior occasions – smiling and shaking hands in an ornate hall within the Kremlin.
Shortly after Witkoff’s departure from Moscow, the White House announced that Trump had signed an executive order imposing an additional 25% tariff on India for purchasing Russian oil. The tariff is slated to take effect on August 27.
The former US president has accused India of disregarding “how many people in Ukraine are being killed by the Russian war machine”.
Expectations for a resolution by Friday remain muted, and Russia has continued its large-scale aerial assaults on Ukraine despite Trump’s sanctions threats.
Prior to assuming office in January, Trump stated his ability to resolve the war between Russia and Ukraine in a single day. The conflict has persisted, and his rhetoric toward Moscow has subsequently become more assertive.
“We thought we had [the war] settled numerous times, and then President Putin goes out and starts launching rockets into some city like Kyiv and kills a lot of people in a nursing home or whatever,” he said last month.
Three rounds of talks between Ukraine and Russia in Istanbul have not brought the war closer to a conclusion, three-and-a-half years after Moscow initiated its full-scale invasion.
Moscow’s military and political preconditions for peace remain unacceptable to Kyiv and its Western partners. The Kremlin has also consistently rejected Kyiv’s requests for a meeting between Zelensky and Putin.
In the meantime, the US administration approved $200m (£150m) of additional military sales to Ukraine on Tuesday, following a phone call between Zelensky and Trump, in which the two leaders also discussed defence co-operation and drone production.
Ukraine has been employing drones to strike Russian refineries and energy facilities, while Moscow has focused its aerial attacks on Ukrainian cities.
The Kyiv City Military Administration reported that the death toll from an attack on the city last week rose to 32 after a man succumbed to his injuries. The strike was among the deadliest on Kyiv since the invasion began.
Ukrainian authorities reported on Wednesday that a Russian attack on a holiday camp in the central region of Zaporizhzhia resulted in two fatalities and twelve injuries.
“There’s no military sense in this attack. It’s just cruelty to scare people,” Zelensky said.
Avon Fire and Rescue Service volunteers will deliver emergency equipment to Ukraine later this year.
US envoy Steve Witkoff will visit Moscow on Wednesday, as Trump’s deadline for Russia to agree a ceasefire with Ukraine looms.
The fire appliances were previously used across Hampshire and the Isle of Wight.
Steve Witkoff is visiting Moscow this week – is it a sign that an agreement between Russia and the US to end the fighting in Ukraine could yet be reached?
Rachel Taylor drove an ambulance full of humanitarian aid on the three-day trip to the Poland-Ukraine border.
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