Ukraine's Volodymyr Zelensky has said he and Donald Trump discussed sanctions against Russia, defence cooperation and drone production ahead of a visit to Moscow by US envoy Steve Witkoff.
Thanking Trump for "productive" talks on Tuesday, Zelensky claimed that Moscow was particularly "sensitive" to the prospect of sanctions.
Trump has previously stated that if Russia fails to agree a ceasefire with Ukraine by Friday it will face hefty sanctions or see secondary sanctions imposed against all those who trade with it.
Witkoff is thought to be travelling to Russia tomorrow or Thursday and is expected to meet Vladimir Putin.
The Kremlin has mostly skirted Trump's sanctions threat, though spokesman Dmitry Peskov noted last week that the Russian economy had "developed a certain immunity" to sanctions due to being under them for so long. Trump has also admitted that he did not know whether sanctions "bothered" Putin.
