'Discussed Ukraine conflict': Trump's envoy Witkoff holds 'three-hour' long meeting with Putin amid US-Russia standoff
&imwidth=600&imheight=450&format=webp&quality=medium "'Discussed Ukraine conflict': Trump's envoy Witkoff holds 'three-hour' long meeting with Putin amid US-Russia standoff")
Russian President Vladimir Putin and US special envoy Steve Witkoff Photograph: (Reuters)
Trump's special envoy and Russian President Putin meets as the US keeps threatening India with tariffs over its purchase of Russian oil amid its war with Ukraine.
Amid the ongoing standoff between the US and Russia, US President Donald Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff met Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday (August 5). Witkoff arrived in Russia today, just two days ahead of the August 8 deadline set by Trump for Russia to reach a ceasefire deal with Ukraine.
Russian President Vladimir Putin held "constructive" talks with Witkoff in Moscow over the Ukraine conflict, the Kremlin said Wednesday after the three-hour meeting.
"A quite useful and constructive conversation took place," Putin's aide Yuri Ushakov said, adding that as well as Ukraine, Russia-US strategic cooperation was discussed.
This comes as the US keeps threatening India with tariffs over its purchase of Russian oil amid its war with Ukraine. While the Russian president has stressed that he will not end his campaign in Ukraine, according to a Bloomberg report.
WATCH | India pushes back against US criticism on Russian oil imports | Doval's Moscow visit amid US tariff
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Trump has been frustrated with Russia over its continued war in Ukraine, as hundreds of people are getting killed. Expressing “disappointment” with the Russian leader, Trump even reduced his 50-day deadline for Russia to 10-12 days because Putin “just won't stop killing people.”
Russia attacks gas transportation facilities in Ukraine
Just hours before Witkoff met Putin, Russia struck a gas facility in Ukraine's Odesa region. The Russian defence ministry confirmed that they have attacked the gas transportation facilities in Ukraine.
Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said that it was an attempt to undermine Ukrainian preparations for winter, according to a Reuters report.
“This was a deliberate blow to our preparations for the heating season, absolutely cynical, like every Russian blow to the energy sector,” Zelenskyy said on Telegram.
Notably, Ukraine has faced a major gas shortage since a series of devastating Russian missile strikes this year, significantly reducing domestic gas production.
