US President Donald Trump said several European leaders will travel to the United States on Monday or Tuesday to discuss ways to end the war in Ukraine. He also indicated he plans to speak with Russian President Vladimir Putin "soon" and signalled his administration is prepared to implement a second phase of sanctions against Moscow.
The announcement came after what officials described as Russia's largest aerial assault in the conflict so far. Russian forces reportedly launched at least 810 drones and 13 missiles in the attack, which killed four people and struck Ukraine's main government building in Kyiv for the first time.
Following the strike, President Trump said he was "not happy with the whole situation". He added: "Certain European leaders are coming over to our country on Monday or Tuesday individually." It was not specified which leaders he was referring to.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, speaking to ABC News, welcomed moves that would pressure Russia economically and urged European countries to stop buying Russian energy.
He said that continued purchases of Russian oil and gas were "not fair" and argued a broader end to commercial relations with Moscow was required: "We have to stop [buying] any kind of energy from Russia, and by the way, anything, any deals with Russia. We can't have any deals if we want to stop them."
Zelensky also expressed support for a US proposal to levy secondary tariffs on countries that continue trading with Russia, saying: "I think the idea to put tariffs on the countries who continue to make deals with Russia, I think this is the right idea."
Analysts estimate Russia has earned roughly $985bn from oil and gas sales since launching the full-scale invasion in March 2022. The largest buyers have been China and India. The European Union has sharply reduced imports of Russian energy, and in June set out plans to cease all purchases by 2027.
Last month the United States imposed a 50% tariff on certain imports from India as a punitive measure linked to New Delhi's ongoing purchases of Russian oil; India has said it will continue to seek affordable fuel supplies for its population. Meanwhile, Russia announced plans to raise gas deliveries to China after talks in Beijing.
US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told NBC's Meet the Press the United States is seeking greater collaboration from the EU to impose secondary tariffs on countries buying Russian oil. He said that stronger coordinated measures would inflict severe damage on Moscow's economy and could force President Putin back to negotiations: "the Russian economy will be in total collapse, and that will bring President Putin to the table".
Bessent added: "We are in a race now between how long can the Ukrainian military hold up, versus how long can the Russian economy hold up."
Officials note that attacks on Ukraine have intensified since President Trump and President Putin met at a summit in Alaska last month. Diplomatic exchanges and planned high-level visits to the United States are occurring amid mounting military pressure and an ongoing international debate over the best ways to deprive Russia of revenue that could fund its war effort.