LIVE: Donald Trump to meet Putin with Zelensky for face to face Ukraine peace talks

Donald Trump, the US President, could hold an in-person meeting with Vladimir Putin and Volodymyr Zelensky as attempts to bring the war in Ukraine to and end continue

Donald Trump could hold an in-person meeting with Vladimir Putin and Volodymyr Zelensky after branding Russia an “extraordinary threat” to the US and slapping sanctions on India.

Mr Putin held talks with Mr Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff in Moscow today, the Kremlin said, just 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.

Since, Mr Trump is understood to have told European leaders including Keir Starmer that he could meet with Putin, before a potential trilateral meeting with the Ukrainian president. It remains unclear if Mr Putin and Mr Zelensky have agreed to the idea, which was reported by The New York Times on Wednesday.

Follow our live blog below for the latest updates.

01:44KEY EVENT

Donald Trump indicates there's 'a good chance' he could meet Mr Putin and Mr Zelensky

Donald Trump has indicated there is a "good chance" he could meet with both Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, following what he described as "very good talks" between his envoy and Putin earlier in the day.

When asked at the White House whether a summit had been agreed upon, Trump said there was a "very good prospect" but did not provide further specifics.

Earlier, the Kremlin released a brief statement about the meeting in Moscow between Putin and Trump’s envoy, Steve Witkoff. A Russian foreign policy aide described the discussions as “constructive,” noting that both sides had exchanged "signals."

00:38Bradley Jolly

Trump's plan to put a 100% tariff on computer chips

U.S. President Donald Trump said Wednesday that he plans to put a 100% tariff on computer chips. The move will likely increase the cost of electronics, autos, household appliances and other essential goods. Trump highlighted that companies who make computer chips in the U.S. would be spared the import tax.

This comes after the president placed an additional 25% tariff on India for its purchases of Russian oil, bringing combined tariffs on the country to 50%. The tariffs will go into effect in 21 days, meaning that both India and Russia might have time to negotiate with the administration on the import taxes.

23:02Benjamin Lynch

Trump 'severe tariffs' threat to Russia remains

Earlier on Wednesday, a White House official said the US was still expected to impose secondary sanctions against Russia on Friday, after a 10-day deadline that Trump imposed is to expire. The White House has not yet released details about the sanctions.

Washington has threatened “severe tariffs” and other economic penalties if the killing doesn’t stop.

Trump also has threatened to slap tariffs on nations that buy Russian oil, which could increase import taxes dramatically on China and India. He said Tuesday he hadn't publicly committed to any particular tariff rate, and indicated that his decision could depend on an outcome of the meeting with Putin.

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.

22:47Benjamin Lynch

'Good chance' of Putin meeting - Trump

At a White House event, Trump was asked about a potential meeting with Putin.

Trump, appearing before reporters later at the White House, didn’t answer questions about a potential location for a meeting but said “there’s a very good prospect that they will” meet.

The president declined to predict how close he was to reaching a deal to end the fighting, saying, “I’ve been disappointed before with this one.”

He said: "There are thousands of young people dying, mostly soldiers, but also, you know, missiles being hit into Kyiv and other places."

22:41Benjamin Lynch

Putin-Zelensky talks unlikely?

Zelensky has been willing to meet face-to-face with Putin to end the conflict, but Russia has repeatedly rejected the idea.

Trump has met with Zelenskyy several times this year, including a contentious February meeting in Washington. Though he has not yet met with Putin this year, Trump met with him five times during his first term.

22:40Benjamin Lynch

Trump-Putin meeting could be significant

A meeting between Putin and Trump would be their first since Trump returned to office this year. It would be a significant milestone in the three-year-old war, though there’s no promise such a meeting would lead to the end of the fighting since Russia and Ukraine remain far apart on their demands.

22:30Benjamin Lynch

Rubio talks of 'better understanding' of Russian conditions

"I think what we have is a better understanding of the conditions under which Russia would be prepared to ned the war," said Rubio, adding the US hopes to get Ukrainian and Russian conditions "close enough" before a meeting between Trump, Putin and Zelensky.

"For the first time perhaps sine this adminsitration began, we have some concrete examples of the kinds of things Russia would ask for in order to end the war... obviously the Ukrainians have a say in this."

Putin has previously stated he wants to address what he sees as the "root causes" of the war in Ukraine.

This related back to his so-called 'maximalist' demands that were demanded at the start of the war in early 2022.

Putin wanted Ukraine to abandon its hopes of joining NATO and become neutral. It also wants to keep the Ukrainian territory it has gained and international recognition of its annexations of Crimea and declared annexations the regions of Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhia and Kherson.

Russia also wants Zelensky's government to step down and replaced with a "transitional" administration.

22:10Benjamin Lynch

Ceasefire 'closer' - Rubio

A ceasefire deal between Ukraine and Russia is now "closer than we were yesterday", US secretary of state Marco Rubio told Fox News.

"Today was a good day" Rubio said, but added that there is '" lot of work ahead".

21:47KEY EVENT

Trump-Putin meeting could happen next week

A meeting between Trump and Puutin could come as early as next week. It is not clear where potential talks could take place.

A report by NBC News says Witkoff told Trump that Putin would like to meet, but the timing of the talks could change. Since, Trump is reported to want Zelensky to attend to meet with Trump and discuss a ceasefire.

21:38Benjamin Lynch

India condems Trump executive order

India called the tariffs “unfair, unjustified and unreasonable”.

Apart from India, Brazil has a tariff rate of 50 percent slapped on it by the US.

21:35Benjamin Lynch

Trump hits India with tariff hike because of 'extraordinary threat' from Russia

Today, Trump imposed another 25 percent tariff on goods from India as a penalty for importing Russian oil. India and China’s purchasing of Russian crude oil is an important source of income for Putin’s Russia and its funding of its war on Ukraine.T

The executive order takes the US’s import tax on Indian goods to 50 percent. “I find that the Government of India is currently directly or indirectly importing Russian Federation oil,” Trump said in the order.

“The actions and policies of the Government of the Russian Federation continue to pose an unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security and foreign policy of the United States.”

The tariff rise is not expected to come in for another 21 days. India could negotiate lower tariffs in that period.

21:24Benjamin Lynch

Developments come after Witkoff meeting with Putin

Russian President Vladimir Putin has held talks with President Donald Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff in Moscow today.

The meeting between Putin and Witkoff lasted about three hours.

Putin’s foreign affairs adviser Yuri Ushakov said the Russian president and Witkoff had a “useful and constructive conversation” that focused on the Ukrainian crisis and, in a nod towards improving relations between Washington and Moscow, “prospects for possible development of strategic co-operation between the US and Russia”.

Trump said in a post on his Truth Social media network that Witkoff “had a highly productive meeting” with Putin in which “great progress was made”.

21:06Benjamin Lynch

Zelensky on call with European leaders

Zelensky was on the call with Starmer and other European leaders including NATO secretary general Mark Rutte and German chancellor Friedrich Merz.

On social media, Zelensky said the war must come to an end in a way that is done “honestly” and that leaders “discussed what was spelled out in Moscow” during the call.

“Ukraine will definitely defend its independence,” he said. “We all need a lasting and reliable peace. Russia must end the war that it itself started. Thank you to everyone who stands with Ukraine.”

21:06Benjamin Lynch

Trump 'proposes talks with Putin and Zelensky'

Trump is understood to have told European leaders including Sir Keir Starmer that he could meet with Putin, before a potential trilateral meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.

It remains unclear if Putin and Zelensky have agreed to the idea, which was reported by The New York Times earlier today.