Russia may consider halting airstrikes on Ukraine in exchange for lifting secondary sanctions
The Kremlin is weighing concessions to U.S. President Donald Trump, which could include an air truce with Ukraine to try to avert the threat of secondary sanctions, Bloomberg reports.
"Officials recognize that US envoy Steve Witkoff's visit to Russia this week offers a late opportunity for agreement with Trump even if expectations for success are low. A pause on air strikes involving drones and missiles as a de-escalation gesture may be one potential proposal provided that Ukraine also signed up one of them said," the report reads, citing sources.
Trump said Witkoff was expected to travel to Russia on Wednesday for the fifth time this year, and the Kremlin said the meeting with Putin could happen. The U.S. president has threatened to impose steep tariffs on countries including China and India that buy Russian oil and other goods starting Friday, in a bid to increase pressure on Putin to call for an end to the war, now in its fourth year.
"Trump needs some kind of 'gift,' a concession from Russia," a Moscow-based political consultant close to the Kremlin Sergei Markov said. "An air truce could be such a gift."
Kellogg is also expected to visit Kyiv later this week for talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
