Russian President Vladimir Putin held talks with US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff in Moscow on Wednesday, just two days before the deadline set by US President Donald Trump to de-escalate Russia’s offensive in Ukraine or face new sanctions. The Kremlin released footage showing Putin welcoming Witkoff at the Kremlin but did not disclose further details of the meeting.
⚡️ President of Russia Vladimir #Putin Vladimir Putin hosted US President’s Special Envoy US Special Envoy @SteveWitkoff at the Kremlin.https://t.co/edws4KNYnD pic.twitter.com/CdhCcHAaGe
— MFA Russia 🇷🇺 (@mfa_russia) August 6, 2025
Trump had claimed he could bring an end to the conflict within 24 hours of assuming office and has now given Russia until Friday to demonstrate progress towards peace or face economic consequences. Three previous rounds of negotiations between Russia and Ukraine in Istanbul have failed to reach an agreement on a ceasefire, and recent weeks have seen a surge in Russian drone and missile attacks as well as an intensified ground assault, according to news agency AFP.
Zelenskyy Calls for Stronger Pressure on Moscow
Ahead of Witkoff’s visit, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called on the United States to increase pressure on Moscow to agree to a ceasefire.
“It is very important to strengthen all the levers in the arsenal of the United States, Europe, and the G7 so that a ceasefire truly comes into effect immediately. Ukraine sees the political will, appreciates the efforts of our partners, of America, and of everyone who is helping,” Zelenskyy posted on social media after Witkoff’s arrival in the Russian capital.
Zelenskyy has also urged Western allies to support efforts for “regime change” in Moscow, as Kyiv continues to demand an immediate ceasefire. Meanwhile, Moscow insists that Ukraine must relinquish more territory and withdraw from its Western alliances if it wishes for hostilities to cease.
Trump Weighs Secondary Tariffs Against Russian Trade Partners
While the White House has yet to outline the specific sanctions that could be imposed, Trump has previously floated the idea of “secondary tariffs” aimed at Russia’s main trade partners, including India and China. These measures would be designed to restrict Russian exports but could also disrupt global trade.
“We’re going to see what happens,” Trump told reporters on Tuesday, as quoted by AFP. “We’ll make that determination at that time.”
On Tuesday, the Kremlin responded without directly naming Trump, labelling the threats of tariff hikes on its trading partners as “illegitimate.”
Trump’s frustration with Putin appears to be growing, as reflected in his blunt remark to reporters when asked about Witkoff’s message to Moscow: “Yeah, get a deal where people stop getting killed.”
Nuclear Warnings Amid Rising US-Russia Tensions
The United States has increased its warnings of new sanctions if no progress is made towards ending the war by Friday. AFP reports that Russian drone and missile strikes reached record highs in July, with increased military advances into Ukrainian territory not yet formally claimed by Russia.
Ukrainian officials stated that at least two civilians were killed and 10 others injured in an overnight shelling of a holiday resort in Zaporizhzhia on Wednesday.
The situation has further intensified after Trump revealed on Monday that he had deployed two nuclear submarines “in the region” following a heated online exchange with former Russian president Dmitry Medvedev. He did not specify whether these were nuclear-powered or nuclear-armed, nor did he disclose their exact locations, which are classified by the US military.
Reacting to the development, Moscow urged “caution” on Monday and later announced it would end its self-imposed moratorium on nuclear-capable intermediate-range missiles. Russia claimed the move was a response to alleged US deployments of similar weapons near its borders.
