Russian President Vladimir Putin met with newly appointed US envoy Steve Witkoff in Moscow on Wednesday, as tensions mount ahead of a Friday deadline set by former US President Donald Trump for Russia to move toward ending its war in Ukraine or face fresh sanctions.
Witkoff’s visit, his first official engagement in Russia since being appointed by Trump, comes amid a flurry of diplomatic activity aimed at defusing the more than three-year conflict that has claimed tens of thousands of lives and displaced millions.
Trump, who has repeatedly insisted he could broker peace “within 24 hours” if re-elected, has set a hard Friday deadline for Russia to make meaningful progress toward a ceasefire. Failure to do so, he warned, would trigger a new round of economic sanctions, possibly including punitive tariffs on countries that continue to trade with Russia.
Footage aired by Russian state media showed Putin welcoming Witkoff at the Kremlin, though no details of their private discussions were disclosed. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov later described the talks as “constructive and frank,” but declined to comment on specific outcomes.
Zelensky urges firm US stance
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky welcomed the American engagement but urged Trump to stay firm on sanctions. In a post on social media, Zelensky said, “It is crucial that pressure is increased on the aggressor so that peace becomes not just a talking point, but a tangible outcome.”
So far, however, diplomatic overtures have yielded little progress. Three rounds of ceasefire negotiations hosted in Istanbul between Russian and Ukrainian delegations have ended without a breakthrough. Meanwhile, Russian forces have ramped up drone and missile attacks across Ukraine, while launching renewed ground offensives in contested territories.
On Wednesday, Ukrainian officials reported that a Russian artillery strike killed at least two people and injured 10 others at a recreational facility in the Zaporizhzhia region.
Trump floats trade penalties
Although the Trump team has not detailed what specific sanctions would be imposed on Friday, the former president has signalled a willingness to target not only Russia but also its trading partners—particularly China, India, and Turkey—if they are seen to be enabling Moscow’s war economy.
“We have a plan in place,” Trump told reporters earlier this week. “But it depends on what happens in Moscow over the next two days. If they want to avoid it, they know what to do—stop the war.”
The Kremlin pushed back strongly on suggestions that third countries could be sanctioned, warning Washington not to overreach. “Unilateral coercive measures are illegal under international law,” Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said.
Nuclear posturing resurfaces
As diplomatic efforts continue, military tensions between Washington and Moscow are also rising. Earlier this week, Trump disclosed that he had ordered two US nuclear submarines to deploy “near the region” in a show of strength following comments by former Russian president Dmitry Medvedev, who had made veiled nuclear threats against the West.
The Kremlin responded by saying it would no longer observe its moratorium on deploying intermediate-range nuclear-capable missiles, hinting at a possible deployment close to US-allied borders if provoked.
Analysts warn that while Trump’s hardline rhetoric may increase pressure on the Kremlin, it could also backfire by pushing Moscow into a more defiant stance—particularly if sanctions affect key trade partners.
For now, both sides appear to be locked in a high-stakes diplomatic game, with millions of lives hanging in the balance. Whether Witkoff’s meeting with Putin can shift the needle remains to be seen, but as Friday’s deadline approaches, the window for avoiding escalation is rapidly closing.
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