Anna Hartz
Trump Says Putin Summit Likely, Despite Sanctions Countdown
Tensions between the U.S. and Russia continue to rise, but signs of possible diplomacy are emerging.
President Donald Trump has now spoken publicly about the chance of a face-to-face meeting with Vladimir Putin. This comes just as new sanctions against Moscow are about to kick in.
Questioned at an Apple Event
Trump addressed the topic during a press conference at the White House on Wednesday night, reports Express.
The event was originally focused on Apple’s new investment in the United States. But when asked about reports of a summit with the Russian president, Trump said there’s a “very good prospect” that the meeting will happen.
Earlier in the day, the White House confirmed it still plans to move forward with secondary sanctions on Russia.
Friday, August 8, remains the deadline set by Trump for Putin to stop the war in Ukraine. If that doesn’t happen, new economic restrictions will take effect.
“An Extraordinary Threat”
The White House says it will also begin enforcing rules to stop third-party countries from doing business with Russian-sanctioned entities. These rules will go into effect within 48 hours.
Trump made a separate post on Truth Social. In the post, he said that his special envoy, Steve Witkoff, had a productive meeting with Putin.
Trump wrote that “great progress was made” and that European allies had been updated afterward. He said everyone agrees that the war in Ukraine must end and that work will continue to make that happen.
Just hours before that post, Trump called Russia an “extraordinary threat” to U.S. national security.
He made this comment while signing a new executive order targeting Indian imports of Russian oil. The order added a 25% tariff on those imports.
Trump explained the move by saying it was necessary to reduce Russia’s oil revenues. He believes that cutting off those funds will make it harder for the Kremlin to keep financing the war in Ukraine.
For now, the world watches to see if the proposed summit will take place—and whether diplomacy or pressure will shape the next chapter of this conflict.
