President Donald Trump told European allies he’s planning to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky as soon as next week in another bid to bring peace between the two countries.
Trump detailed the plans in a phone call Wednesday that also included Zelensky, according to a person familiar with the discussion.
The effort to convene a meeting of the three leaders came hours after Putin finished hosting US special envoy Steve Witkoff for three hours of discussions in Moscow. Trump in a social media post earlier on Wednesday said that there was “great progress made” in that meeting, while still leaving open the possibility of further penalties on Moscow’s oil revenues.
The White House didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment. The New York Times first reported Trump’s plans as relayed on the call with the diplomats.
Earlier Wednesday, Trump doubled tariffs on Indian goods to 50% as punishment for its purchases of Russian energy. US officials are weighing additional actions to choke off energy sales that are a key source of funds for Russia’s war effort in Ukraine.
{{/usCountry}}Earlier Wednesday, Trump doubled tariffs on Indian goods to 50% as punishment for its purchases of Russian energy. US officials are weighing additional actions to choke off energy sales that are a key source of funds for Russia’s war effort in Ukraine.
{{/usCountry}}The Trump administration is considering new sanctions on Moscow’s covert fleet of oil tankers and several entities that enable them to operate, according to people familiar with the matter.
“Afterwards, I updated some of our European Allies,” Trump said in the post. “Everyone agrees this War must come to a close, and we will work towards that in the days and weeks to come.”
Still, a White House official said the US expected to implement secondary sanctions on Friday even as they expressed satisfaction with the outcome of the Witkoff-Putin meeting.
Putin’s government said little about the three-hour conversation, with Kremlin foreign policy aide Yuri Ushakov telling reporters the Russian leader exchanged “signals” with Trump on Ukraine, without elaborating.
The Russian vessels have become instrumental to its ability to move its oil despite US and European sanctions.
“The shadow tanker fleet is the backbone of Russia’s sanctions evasion and war financing,” Andriy Yermak, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy’s chief of staff, said on the X platform.
The Financial Times first reported the potential measures on Russia’s shadow fleet.
The people said the Trump administration is considering a range of options to restrict Putin’s energy revenues. Other possibilities could include measures targeting oil companies and actions to better enforce existing restrictions.