U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff has met with Russian president Vladimir Putin ahead of a deadline for further sanctions on the country, should Russia not make progress towards a ceasefire with Ukraine.

Moscow

Russian forces have invaded Ukraine from land, air and sea with strikes causing widespread damage. Global leaders have condemned the move and imposed sanctions.

Ukraine Invasion

US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff held talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin, marking their first meeting since April. The meeting comes as US President Donald Trump threatens additional sanctions on Russia and tariffs on its allies, including India and China, if no progress is made toward a ceasefire in Ukraine. Russia may consider concessions, such as reducing aerial operations in Ukraine, to avoid these sanctions. The conflict has seen a significant increase in drone strikes, with July recording the highest number since the war began. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has expressed support for further US sanctions on Russia, following the breakdown of recent bilateral negotiations between Russia and Ukraine.

Putin meets U.S. Special Envoy ahead of deadline

That's right Ursula, and US President Donald Trump has threatened to impose further sanctions on Russia, as well as tariffs on its allies buying oil, including India and China, if no progress is made towards a ceasefire deal before Friday. This is the first time US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and Russian President Vladimir Putin have spoken since April. It's unlikely that we'll see a full ceasefire come out of these talks, but there is a possibility that Russia may agree to some concessions in order to stave off those sanctions. That could come in the form of Russia paring back some of its aerial operations in Ukraine. We know that last month, July, saw the largest number of drone strikes in Ukraine since the war break out, 14% higher than the month before, and 14 times higher than the year before. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky spoke to US President Donald Trump over the phone last night. He insisted on the need for the war to end, and also approved of any further sanctions the US could impose on Russia. These talks come after a series of bilateral negotiations between Russia and Ukraine, held in Istanbul, broke down with no real progress being made. It's not only the relationship between Ukraine and Russia that seems at a low point, but also between Trump and Putin, and it seems that three and a half years on from the conflict breaking out, we're no closer to a peace deal than day one.

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Ukraine Invasion