Trump Envoys Moscow Visit: Paving the Way for Ukraine Peace Ahead of Sanctions Deadline

U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff arrived in Moscow on Wednesday for discussions with President Vladimir Putin, just two days ahead of the deadline set by U.S. President Donald Trump for the Kremlin to terminate its military actions in Ukraine or face additional sanctions.

Upon his arrival in the Russian capital, Witkoff was greeted by Kirill Dmitriev, a special representative from the Kremlin, according to reports from Russian state media. Images and footage shared by the TASS news agency captured the two men strolling through Moscow’s Zaryadye Park, accompanied by aides and security personnel.

The Kremlin later confirmed the three-hour meeting between Putin and Witkoff, releasing a video of their handshake. Following the discussion, foreign policy advisor Yuri Ushakov described the talks as “valuable” and “constructive.”

“We communicated specific messages concerning Ukraine, and we received reciprocal responses from President Trump,” Ushakov, who previously served as U.S. ambassador, informed reporters. “We’ll see when Witkoff can update Trump on today’s dialogue.”

Witkoff, who is officially designated as the Special Envoy to the Middle East, has visited Russia multiple times since Trump took office in January. His most recent trip to Russia was in April, where he met with Putin to explore the possibility of reigniting direct peace negotiations between Ukraine and Russia.

This visit follows Trump’s ultimatum to Moscow to stop its military aggressions by Friday or face new sanctions, as well as “secondary tariffs” directed at its key trade partners, including China and India, the leading importers of Russian oil.

“Putin will cease hostilities if energy prices drop by another $10 a barrel. He’ll have no option, as his economy is struggling,” Trump remarked in an interview with CBS aired on Tuesday.

When questioned about Witkoff’s message to Moscow and what actions Russia could take to sidestep new sanctions, Trump responded, “Yes, reach an agreement that stops the violence.”

Despite his threats of tightening sanctions, Trump also suggested that the effects might be limited, noting over the weekend that Russia has shown an adeptness at circumventing sanctions.

“They’re clever players,” he commented regarding the Russians.

While the Kremlin has publicly downplayed the imminent threat of new sanctions and tariffs on its trade partners, sources cited by Reuters indicate that Putin is reportedly worried about aggravating Trump and understands that disregarding the U.S. president’s call for peace might jeopardize opportunities to enhance relations with Washington.

However, these sources also suggest that Russia’s military objectives take precedence. These objectives reportedly include the complete withdrawal of Ukrainian forces from the four regions in eastern Ukraine that Moscow claims, along with Kyiv agreeing to a neutral status and a cap on the size of its military—conditions that Ukraine has consistently rejected.

In response, Kyiv has called for an immediate ceasefire and last week urged its allies to push for “regime change” in Moscow. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky stated on Wednesday that “it is crucial that Moscow starts feeling the global pressure, the pressure from the United States, and the threat of harsher sanctions for continuing the conflict.”

Earlier reports indicated to Bloomberg that the Kremlin is contemplating an air ceasefire with Ukraine as a means to appease Trump while maintaining its military offensive, where Russian forces have been gaining ground in recent months. However, sources noted that Putin does not intend to agree to a broader ceasefire at this time.

Compounding the tensions, Trump announced recently that he had ordered the deployment of two U.S. nuclear submarines following exchanges of barbs on social media with former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev. He did not clarify whether the submarines were nuclear-powered or nuclear-armed or disclose their exact locations.

On Monday, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov advised caution regarding the submarine deployment.

Reporting contributed by AFP.