Trump confirms Special Envoy’s visit to Russia; warns of sanctions if ceasefire not reached

WASHINGTON: U.S. President Donald Trump has announced that Steve Witkoff, his special envoy, will travel to Russia for negotiations on Wednesday or Thursday this week. Trump warned that if Moscow does not agree to a ceasefire in the Ukraine conflict by Friday, new sanctions will be imposed on the country. He stated, “Sanctions will be in place, but they seem to be skilled at circumventing them.” Russian President Vladimir Putin expressed hope for continued peace negotiations with Ukraine, asserting that the course of the war is favorable for Russia and that there has been no change in the Kremlin’s position. This visit by Trump’s special envoy comes just before the expiration of a 10-day deadline to implement new sanctions against Russia. Trump also mentioned that two nuclear submarines he had ordered to be deployed are now in the region, but he did not provide further details about their nuclear capabilities or exact locations. Additionally, the U.S. President threatened that secondary tariffs would be imposed on countries like China and India if they continued trading with Russia.