“There’s a good chance that there will be a meeting very soon,” Trump stated to reporters.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt remarked: “The Russians have expressed their desire to meet with President Trump, and the president is open to meeting with both President Putin and President Zelenskyy.”

US envoy Steve Witkoff meets with Putin

Trump has grown increasingly frustrated with Putin due to the lack of progress towards achieving peace and has threatened to impose heavy tariffs on nations purchasing Russian exports, including oil.

Russian President Vladimir Putin (left) met with US envoy Steve Witkoff in Moscow for three hours on a last-minute mission to seek a resolution to the Russia-Ukraine conflict. Source: AAP / Gavril Grigorov

Trump said he could announce further tariffs on China similar to the 25 per cent duties announced earlier on India over its purchases of Russian oil.

Kremlin foreign policy aide Yuri Ushakov mentioned that both sides had exchanged “signals” regarding the Ukraine issue and discussed the potential for developing strategic cooperation between Russia and the US, but did not provide further details until Witkoff had reported back to Trump.

Trump on Truth Social said he had updated some of the US’s European allies following Witkoff’s meeting.

Pressure on India