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US Special Envoy to Arrive in Moscow Just Ahead of Trump’s Ceasefire Deadline
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![Photo of Vlad Litnarovych]( "Photo of Vlad Litnarovych")
US President Donald Trump said his special envoy, Steve Witkoff, may travel to Moscow on August 6 or 7. Just days before Trump’s self-imposed deadline for Russia to agree to a ceasefire in Ukraine or face fresh sanctions targeting its oil exports, Trump said, speaking to reporters in Bedminster, New Jersey, on August 3.
Trump reiterated his warning that Moscow would face penalties if it did not take steps to end the war by August 8.
“There’ll be sanctions, but they seem to be pretty good at avoiding sanctions,” Trump said. “They’re wily characters and they’re pretty good at avoiding sanctions, so we’ll see what happens.”
"Is there anything [Russia] can do to avoid sanctions at this point?"@POTUS: "Yeah, get a deal where people stop getting killed." pic.twitter.com/zMZHH8vZDz
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) August 4, 2025
The proposed secondary sanctions would likely target countries like China and India—the largest importers of Russian oil—in an attempt to squeeze the Kremlin’s energy revenues.
Trump previously indicated that Witkoff would visit Moscow following his current trip to Israel, where he’s holding discussions with officials about the situation in Gaza. While Trump did not initially offer specifics, he clarified that the envoy might head to Russia mid-week.
“He may go, I think, next week, Wednesday or Thursday [August 6 and 7] to Russia. They would like to see him. They asked him to meet with them. So we’ll see what happens,” Trump said.
He also noted that Witkoff is still focused on developments in Gaza but may soon pivot to diplomatic efforts involving Russia.
On July 14, Trump first threatened sanctions if the Kremlin continued stalling negotiations with Ukraine. Then, on July 28, he announced a shortened deadline of just 10–12 days for a ceasefire agreement, replacing the original 50-day timeline.
Earlier, Trump stated that Russian leader Vladimir Putin may be planning to seize all of Ukraine, but warned that such a strategy would face serious obstacles.
