Whitcombe had a three-hour meeting with Putin. Trump's attitude has become increasingly hardline, threatening to "drop a big bomb" within hours.

The Kremlin said the conversation was "constructive."

Photo: U.S. President's special envoy Stephen Whitcombe

Stephen Whitcombe visited Moscow and held talks with Vladimir Putin, becoming a focus of global attention. Major media outlets around the world have been closely tracking the movements of this U.S. special envoy in the Russian capital, from his arrival at Vnukovo Airport, to his morning walk in the Zaryadye Park, to the talks at the Kremlin.

More notably, Whitcombe's arrival in Moscow came just two days before Donald Trump's deadline for a ceasefire in Ukraine expired.

The closed-door meeting lasted more than three hours. Yuri Ushakov, a presidential aide, told journalists that the talks between Putin and Whitcombe were "very beneficial and constructive."

The core topics of the meeting included "the Ukraine crisis and the potential development of U.S.-Russia strategic cooperation."

The Washington Post pointed out that Whitcombe has visited Russia for the fifth time since the beginning of this year. The longest meeting was on April 11 in St. Petersburg, lasting more than four and a half hours.

In St. Petersburg, Kirill Dmitriev, the head of the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RFPI), personally met with Whitcombe. Many Western analysts consider Dmitriev to be a key figure in negotiations with the United States. This time, Dmitriev also had a one-on-one conversation with this American envoy.

Al Jazeera reported that the specific requirements of the White House for Whitcombe's visit to Russia remain unclear. Washington has not yet clarified the specific actions it plans to take, but Trump previously threatened to impose "secondary tariffs" on Russia's trade partners, such as India and related countries.

On Monday, reporters asked Trump during a press conference what message Whitcombe would convey to Moscow and what Russia could do to avoid sanctions. Trump replied, "Let them reach an agreement so no one else dies."

U.S. cable news network CNN stated that Trump's uncertainty in words and decisions seems to stem from his realization that imposing tariffs on India, related countries, and other economies friendly to Russia would first hurt the United States itself.

Western analysts believe that tariffs could lead to rising consumer prices, declining profitability for U.S. companies, and higher oil prices.

For Trump, who is preparing for the 2026 midterm elections, any turbulence is something he does not want to see. CNN cited economist Clayton C. Siegel, who said that Trump's initial proposal of a 100% tariff was merely a political statement, and lower tariffs (10%-30%) might be more effective, prompting countries to diversify their oil supply.

"Harsh measures are seen as bluster," Siegel concluded.

Perhaps for this reason, Russia did not take Trump's threats seriously. Reuters noted that when asked about the specific percentage of tariffs on Russian oil buyers, Trump himself suddenly changed his stance.

When asked if he would impose sanctions on Russia's trade partners, including related countries, Trump said he would "take very active action," but emphasized that he "never mentioned specific tariff percentages."

This statement contradicts Trump's previous threats. On July 14, he had promised to impose a 100% tariff on countries purchasing Russian oil and gave Moscow 50 days to achieve a ceasefire in Ukraine. Later, he shortened the deadline to 10 days, which expired on August 8.

Bloomberg pointed out: "This verbal retreat suggests that Trump may not intend to fully carry out his previous threats."

All media and analysts agree that Trump's final decision will completely depend on the outcome of Whitcombe's visit to Moscow. Moreover, it has been proven that Trump is better at negotiation than pressure: for example, shortly before Whitcombe's visit to Russia, the White House asked relevant countries and India to stop buying Russian oil and weapons, but both countries remained firm, stating they would make their own policy decisions.

India's Wion News reported that the Indian government responded to the White House by saying that it was the United States that pushed India to buy Russian oil after the special military operation began, because these purchases helped stabilize the global energy market amid the U.S.-led "war of sanctions."

"Like other major economies, India will take all necessary measures to safeguard its national interests and economic security," Wion News quoted Indian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Randeep Singh Jasswal.

He also confirmed that the United States has been importing uranium hexafluoride for the nuclear industry, palladium for electric vehicles, fertilizers, chemicals, and other various goods from Russia. Therefore, India will decide independently on the content and manner of its trade with Russia.

After Whitcombe's meeting with the Kremlin, Trump pledged to issue a major official statement on Wednesday evening. The specific content remains unknown. Obviously, both sides have reached a consensus not to leak any information to the media.

Many experts believe there may be a "verbal ceasefire," but what exactly it means and whether it will actually happen, we will find out soon.

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