TOP STORY/ US Envoy Meets Putin ahead of Ukraine Peace Deadline As Trump Says Unaware Of Uranium Purchase

Moscow: Russian President Vladimir Putin held talks with U.S. President Donald Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff in Moscow on Wednesday, the Kremlin said, days before the White House’s deadline for Russia to reach a peace deal with Ukraine or potentially face severe economic penalties that could also hit countries buying its oil. This comes a day after Trump threatened India on Truth Social with more tariffs as it imported oil from Russia. This comes hours after Trump told reporters he was “unaware” of any uranium and fertiliser purchase that the United States was doing with Russia. 

"I don't know anything about it. I have to check it out," Trump told reporters feigning ignorance on New Delhi’s stand that Washington was singling it out unfairly while continuing to do business with Moscow itself. 

India has called out Western double standards on purchasing crude oil from Russia. 

Meanwhile, the Kremlin did not immediately provide more details of the meeting with Steve Witkoff. Earlier, Witkoff took an early morning stroll through Zaryadye Park, a stone's throw from the Kremlin, with Kirill Dmitriev, the Russian president's envoy for investment and economic cooperation, footage aired by TASS showed.

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Dmitriev played a key role in three rounds of direct talks between delegations from Russia and Ukraine in Istanbul in recent months, as well as discussions between Russian and U.S. officials. The negotiations made no progress on ending the three-year war following Russia's invasion of its neighbor.

Trump’s deadline for Putin ends on Friday. Washington has threatened “severe tariffs” and other economic penalties if the killing doesn’t stop.

Trump has expressed increasing frustration with Putin over Russia’s escalating strikes on civilian areas of Ukraine, intended to erode morale and public appetite for the war. The intensified attacks have occurred even as Trump has urged the Russian leader in recent months to relent.

Zelenskyy Praises Armed Forces

While Witkoff is in Moscow, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy praised the country’s armed forces for what he described as a "truly exceptional" military operation in Russia’s Kursk region — a move that underscores Kyiv's growing willingness and ability to carry out cross-border operations.

“For over a year now, Ukraine has been conducting active operations inside Russian territory, particularly in the Belgorod and Kursk regions,” Zelenskyy said in a recent statement. “Once again, Ukrainians have proven that it is absolutely possible to push back against Russia — to respond to its aggression with strength and dignity.”

The Kursk operation, he noted, caught both Russian forces and international intelligence agencies off guard. At a time when many observers believed the war had reached a stalemate, Ukraine’s actions served as a reminder of its determination to defend its sovereignty and apply pressure on Moscow.

Zelenskyy thanked the Ukrainian soldiers, sergeants, and officers involved in the mission, crediting them with thwarting another potential large-scale Russian offensive toward Ukraine’s northeastern regions of Sumy and Kharkiv.

“We are defending Ukraine,” he said, adding, “and we remember every man and woman who gave their lives in battles for our country. Glory to Ukraine!”

Russia Continues To Target Kyiv

Meanehile, news agency AP reported how from Tuesday to Wednesday, Russian forces hit a recreational center in Ukraine’s southern Zaporizhzhia region, killing two people and injuring 12, including two children, regional Gov. Ivan Fedorov said Wednesday.

Russian forces launched at least four strikes on the area and initially attacked with powerful glide bombs.

“There is zero military sense in this strike. Only cruelty to intimidate,” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in a post on Telegram.

Russia also struck the Ukrainian power grid and heating gas facilities, Zelenskyy said, as Ukraine makes preparations for winter.

Western analysts and Ukrainian officials say Putin is stalling for time and avoiding serious negotiations while Russian forces push to capture more Ukraine land. A Russian offensive that started in the spring and is expected to continue through the fall is advancing faster than last year's push but is making only slow and costly gains and has been unable to take any major cities.

The situation on the front line is critical for Ukrainian forces but defenses are not about to collapse, analysts say.

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Trump Threatens More Tariffs

On Tuesday, Trump said “we’ll see what happens” regarding his threat to slap tariffs on nations that buy Russian oil, which could increase import taxes dramatically on China and India.

“We have a meeting with Russia tomorrow,” Trump said. “We’re going to see what happens. We’ll make that determination at that time.”

The president said that he has not publicly committed to a specific tariff rate.

Stepping up diplomatic and economic pressure on the Kremlin risks stoking international tensions amid worsening Russia-U.S. relations.

The Washington-based Center for European Policy Analysis warned in an assessment this week that there are “clear signs that the Kremlin is preparing for a broader confrontation with NATO,” including a military build-up along Russia’s western flank with alliance countries in recent years.

Putin has strengthened Russia’s military ties with China, North Korea and Iran. NATO, meanwhile, said Tuesday it has started coordinating regular deliveries of large Western weapons packages to Ukraine. European allies and Canada are buying most of the equipment they plan to transport from the United States. The Trump administration is not donating any arms to Ukraine.

Putin has given no hint that he might be ready to make concessions. Instead, the Russian leader and senior Kremlin officials have talked up the country’s military strength.

Putin announced last week that Russia’s new hypersonic missile, which he says cannot be intercepted by current NATO air defense systems, has entered service.

Former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, meantime, warned that the Ukraine war could bring Russia and the U.S. into armed conflict. Trump responded to that by ordering the repositioning of two U.S. nuclear submarines.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov on Monday welcomed Witkoff's visit. “We consider (talks with Witkoff) important, substantive and very useful," he said.

Trump initially gave Moscow a 50-day deadline, but later moved up his ultimatum as the Kremlin continued to bomb Ukrainian cities.

However, Trump himself doubted their effectiveness, saying Sunday that Russia has proven to be “pretty good at avoiding sanctions.”

“They’re wily characters,” he said of the Russians.

The Kremlin has insisted that international sanctions imposed since its February 2022 invasion of its neighbor have had a limited impact.

Ukraine maintains the sanctions are taking their toll on Moscow’s war machine and wants Western allies to ramp them up.

(Inputs from AP)