US envoy declares Witkoff to visit Moscow
(MENAFN) Steve Witkoff, U.S. President Donald Trump’s special envoy, is scheduled to visit Moscow on Sunday in an effort to revive stalled peace negotiations over the conflict in Ukraine. The announcement came from U.S. Ambassador to NATO Matthew Whitaker, who expressed hope that Witkoff’s visit might lead to a diplomatic breakthrough.
Trump had previously stated that Witkoff would travel to Russia, though without providing a specific date. The envoy has met with Russian President Vladimir Putin on several occasions in past talks.
In an interview with WHO 13 News, Whitaker said the U.S. plans to sell arms to NATO allies who will then provide them to Ukraine, aiming to pressure Russia into returning to the negotiating table and potentially agreeing to a ceasefire.
Earlier this week, Trump dramatically shortened his timeline for a peace settlement—from 50 days to just 10—warning that failure to reach a deal by August 8 could result in severe penalties, including full tariffs and secondary sanctions against countries continuing trade with Russia.
The acting U.S. envoy to the UN, John Kelley, confirmed that Trump expects a ceasefire by August 8, amid growing dissatisfaction from the president over Moscow’s stance.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has reiterated that Moscow remains open to talks and views negotiations as essential for peace. He cited past successes in prisoner exchanges and soldier repatriations as proof that discussions can yield meaningful results.
However, the Kremlin continues to characterize the Ukraine conflict as a Western-orchestrated proxy war, asserting that hostilities would cease if Kiev agreed to neutrality and reversed policies seen as discriminatory toward ethnic Russians.
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