ISLAMABAD: European leaders will travel to the United States early next week for talks on ending the war in Ukraine, President Donald Trump has said. He told reporters he also plans to speak with Russian President Vladimir Putin “soon”, as Washington prepares a second phase of sanctions targeting Moscow.
The announcement came hours after Russia launched its biggest aerial bombardment of the war, killing four people and striking Ukraine’s main government building in Kyiv for the first time. Ukrainian officials said at least 810 drones and 13 missiles were fired in the assault, BBC reported.
Zelensky urges end to Russian energy trade
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky welcomed the prospect of tougher US measures, including secondary tariffs on countries trading with Russia. Speaking to ABC News, he called continued European purchases of Russian oil and gas “not fair” and urged a complete halt.
Russia has earned nearly $1tn from energy exports since its full-scale invasion in 2022, with China and India as the biggest buyers, according to the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air. The European Union has pledged to end all Russian energy imports by 2027, but continues to make limited purchases.
US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said Washington was pressing the EU to back secondary tariffs, arguing that tightening sanctions could collapse Russia’s economy and force Putin to the negotiating table.
