A Trump envoy arrives in Moscow for talks on Ukraine under the threat of sanctions
As President Trump’s sanctions deadline approaches, US envoy Steve Witkoff is in Moscow for last discussions on the conflict in Ukraine.
Two days before President Donald Trump sets a deadline for Russia to come to peace or face fresh penalties, U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff arrived in Moscow on Wednesday in an attempt to broker a breakthrough in the war in Ukraine.
Russia’s investment ambassador and head of its sovereign wealth fund, Kirill Dmitriev, welcomed Witkoff, a real estate mogul with no prior diplomatic experience. The two men were seen strolling together in a park close to the Kremlin, engaged in a lengthy chat, according to Russian state media.
The ambassador would meet with Russian leaders while in Washington, according to a source familiar with Witkoff’s itinerary who spoke to Reuters on Tuesday. Whether he will be received by President Vladimir Putin has not been verified by the Kremlin.
Because of the stagnant peace attempts, Trump has been more and more irritated with Putin. He has threatened to slap high taxes on nations that purchase Russian goods, putting special pressure on China and India, two of the world’s largest buyers of Russian oil.
Threats to punish nations that trade with Russia are unlawful, according to the Kremlin. According to three people close to the Kremlin who spoke to Reuters, Putin is unlikely to comply with Trump’s demand because he thinks Russia is winning the battle and that his military objectives outweigh the possibility of better ties with Washington.
Witkoff’s visit is a last-ditch attempt to find a solution that will save both parties’ faces. Gerhard Mangott, an Austrian analyst and one of a number of Western academics and journalists who have visited with Putin on a regular basis over the years, stated, “I don’t think there will be anything of a compromise between the two.”
In a phone interview with Reuters, Mangott stated, “Russia will insist that it is prepared to have a ceasefire, but (only) under the conditions that it has formulated for the last two or three years already.”
He continued by saying that Trump will face pressure to carry out his declared plan to increase tariffs on all nations purchasing gas, oil, and most likely uranium from Russia.
After three and a half years of conflict and waves of economic penalties, Putin is skeptical that more U.S. sanctions will make much of an impact, according to Russian insiders. The Kremlin leader stated that his military aims are still of utmost importance, even though he does not wish to enrage Trump.
Witkoff and Putin have previously met for several long sessions. He has been working on Iran’s nuclear program and seeking ceasefires in the wars in Gaza and Ukraine since joining Trump’s team in January.
His suitability for such high-stakes diplomacy has been questioned by some. Unaccompanied by diplomats or staffers, Witkoff looked alone at the table across from Putin, Dmitriev, and Kremlin foreign policy assistant Yuri Ushakov on his most recent visit to Moscow in April.
He has been accused by some of reiterating talking lines from the Kremlin. Witkoff called it “preposterous” to imagine Putin would send his army marching across Europe, saying there was no reason to suppose Russia planned to annex Ukraine or take over more land in an interview with journalist Tucker Carlson in March.
That opinion is contested by Ukraine and many of its European allies, who contend that Russia’s incursion shows the contrary. Putin dismisses Western threats as “Russophobia” and denies any plots against NATO nations.
