Steve Witkoff spent three hours behind closed doors with Vladimir Putin on Wednesday — and walked out with nothing Donald Trump could spin as a win.

The Kremlin called the talks “constructive and useful,” which in diplomatic Russian translates to: no agreement, no movement. The meeting ended just before Trump’s sanctions deadline. The pressure was on, but Putin didn’t budge.

Trump wanted steps toward a Ukraine peace deal. Instead, Russian missiles kept flying. Since their last meeting in April, Russia has actually escalated attacks — pounding Ukrainian cities with drone strikes and barrages.

Putin stalls, Trump waits

Russian state media said Putin sent “signals” to Washington and got “corresponding signals” back from Trump. But nothing concrete was revealed. The Kremlin promised “more details” after Witkoff reports back — a classic delay tactic.

The only visible progress? A handshake, filmed before the meeting, with Russia’s investment envoy Kirill Dmitriev looking on.

Behind the scenes, Trump’s patience has been thinning for weeks. In early July, he warned of new sanctions if Russia didn’t move toward peace. That deadline passed — with no result. Privately, he’s been calling Putin’s calls “tense,” his Ukraine narrative “bullsh*t,” and Russia’s missile strikes “disgusting.” None of it moved Putin.

Minutes after the failed talks, Trump shifted targets — to India. The White House slapped an extra 25% tariff on Indian imports, doubling the total rate to 50%. His order accused India of importing Russian oil and fueling the war machine.

Trump had warned this was coming. Last week he hinted at a “penalty” for India buying Russian weapons and energy. On CNBC’s Squawk Box Tuesday, he spelled it out: “If they’re going to do that, then I’m not going to be happy.”

Just weeks ago, Washington was talking up a new trade deal with India. Then on July 30, Trump accused China of backing Putin and warned that anyone helping Russia would pay. India’s vow to keep buying Russian oil sealed it.