U.S. President Donald Trump said several European leaders will visit Washington early next week for talks on urgent measures to end the war in Ukraine, following Russia’s largest aerial assault since the conflict began.
Speaking after Russian forces fired more than 800 drones and struck Kyiv’s central government building for the first time, Trump said he would meet his European counterparts “individually” on Monday or Tuesday. He also signaled plans to speak with Russian President Vladimir Putin and hinted at a new round of sanctions targeting Moscow.
“I’m not happy with the whole situation,” Trump said, describing the renewed Russian offensive.
The White House is weighing secondary sanctions on countries continuing to trade with Russia, a move strongly backed by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. In an interview with ABC News, Zelensky criticized ongoing energy purchases from Moscow by some European states, calling them “not fair” and urging an immediate halt.
“We have to stop buying any kind of energy from Russia. We can’t have any deals if we want to stop them,” Zelensky said.
Since its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in March 2022, Russia has earned an estimated $985 billion from oil and gas exports, according to the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air. China and India remain key buyers despite international pressure.
The European Union has pledged to end Russian energy imports by 2027, though Zelensky is pressing for faster action. The U.S. has already imposed 50% tariffs on Indian goods over continued Russian oil purchases, a step New Delhi says undermines its economic interests.
Russia is meanwhile strengthening energy ties with China, pledging to increase gas supplies during talks in Beijing last week. The OPEC+ coalition, which includes Russia, has also agreed to boost oil production, a move expected to lower global prices and complicate Western efforts to curb Moscow’s energy revenues.
U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent urged European support for the proposed secondary sanctions. “If the EU joins us, the Russian economy will be in total collapse and that will bring President Putin to the table,” he said. “We are in a race now between how long the Ukrainian military can hold out, and how long the Russian economy can survive.”
