Secondary sanctions against Russia to be imposed on Friday

U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff's meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow on Wednesday went well, a White House official said, adding that Washington still planned to proceed with secondary sanctions on Friday, a White House spokesman said on Wednesday, Reuters reports.

"The Russians are eager to continue engaging with the United States. The secondary sanctions are still expected to be implemented on Friday," the White House official said.

Witkoff met Putin for around three hours on a last-minute mission to seek a breakthrough in the 3-1/2-year war that began with Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Trump has threatened sanctions on Moscow if no moves are made to end the war in Ukraine.