Trump declines to describe Witkoff-Putin meeting as breakthrough, says more secondary sanctions are likely
U.S. President Donald Trump on Aug. 6 declined to describe an earlier meeting between Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and Russian President Vladimir Putin as a breakthrough, noting that additional U.S. secondary sanctions on Russia's trading partners are likely to be imposed.
"I don't call it a breakthrough," Trump replied when asked about Witkoff's meeting with Putin in Moscow.
Trump previously set an Aug. 8 deadline for Russia to reach a ceasefire in its war against Ukraine. As the deadline approaches, the U.S. leader has already imposed 50% tariffs on India for purchasing Russian oil.
When asked by a reporter if Putin has been tapping him along, Trump said he will know in a few weeks.
Trump noted additional secondary sanctions will be imposed on Russia's trading partners, saying that "You are going to see a lot more... you are going to see so much secondary sanctions."
When asked if additional tariffs could be imposed on China, Trump replied, saying that it "could happen."
Trump described the current stage of talks with Russia as "very serious" as the Aug. 8 deadline for Russia to reach a ceasefire with Ukraine looms.
As Trump pressures Russia to reach a ceasefire, the Kremlin is weighing a limited "air truce" involving a pause in drone and missile strikes if Ukraine agrees to do the same, Bloomberg reported on Aug. 5, citing undisclosed sources familiar with the matter.
Trump and Zelensky held a phone call on Aug. 6 following Witkoff's visit to Moscow. Several European leaders, including U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer, joined the call.
Trump earlier described the meeting between Witkoff and Putin as "highly productive."
The U.S. leader plans to meet Putin as early as next week and intends to hold a trilateral meeting with President Volodymyr Zelensky and Putin shortly after, the New York Times (NYT) reported on Aug. 6.
In his public remarks following the call, Trump appeared uncommitted on a timeline for the potential meeting, adding "there's a good chance that there will be a meeting very soon."
When asked by reporters whether he believed the U.S. was close to reaching a ceasefire deal with Russia, Trump replied: "Well, look, I don't want to say. I've been disappointed before with this one."
Months earlier, U.S. attempts to broker a peace deal between Ukraine and Russia failed. Kyiv and Moscow later held three rounds of direct peace talks in Istanbul, which were largely inconclusive.
In direct talks, Ukraine and Russia agreed to several prisoner exchanges, but progress toward a ceasefire was not made amid Russian maximalist demands.
