Vladimir Putin has met with US special envoy Steve Witkoff as President Trump’s deadline for ending the Ukraine conflict fast approaches. 

The grinning Russian leader could be seen shaking hands with the US president’s trusted representative at the Kremlin on Wednesday morning. 

It comes as the US has threatened ‘severe tariffs’ and other economic penalties if the Putin does not put an end to the conflict by Friday. 

Trump has become increasingly frustrated with the Kremlin in recent weeks amid escalating strikes on civilian areas of Ukraine. 

In the meantime, talks have stalled with no advancements toward concluding the three-year conflict initiated by Russia’s invasion of its neighbor in February 2022.

Confirming the meeting this morning, Moscow’s state media reported: ‘Russian President Vladimir Putin received US Special Envoy Steven Witkoff.’ 

The Kremlin did not provide any further details about what was discussed. 

Earlier, Witkoff took an early morning stroll through Zaryadye Park, a stone’s throw from the Kremlin, with Kirill Dmitriev. 

Dmitriev played a key role in three rounds of direct talks between delegations from Russia and Ukraine in Istanbul in recent months. 

Vladimir Putin is seen meeting with US special envoy Steve Witkoff at the Kremlin, just ahead of the US deadline for ending the Ukraine conflict

President Donald Trump fields questions following the signing of an executive order to set up a White House task force for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic and Paralympic Games.

The grinning Russian leader could be seen shaking hands with the US president’s trusted representative on Wednesday morning

From Tuesday night into Wednesday, Russian troops targeted a leisure facility in Ukraine’s southern Zaporizhzhia area, resulting in two fatalities and leaving 12 people wounded.

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.

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.

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 US has threatened ‘severe tariffs ‘ and other economic penalties if the Putin does not put an end to the conflict by Friday

Russian President Vladimir Putin is seen at a meeting in the Kremlin yesterday

Earlier, Witkoff took an early morning stroll through Zaryadye Park, a stone’s throw from the Kremlin, with Kirill Dmitriev, footage aired by TASS showed

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 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.