U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff arrived in Moscow on Wednesday, state media reported, where he will meet with Russian leadership as President Donald Trump’s deadline to impose fresh sanctions over the war in Ukraine looms.
The visit comes after Trump said that two nuclear submarines he deployed following an online row with former Russian president Dmitry Medvedev were now “in the region.”
Trump has given Russia until Friday to halt its offensive in Ukraine or face new penalties.
The White House has not outlined specific actions it plans to take on Friday, but Trump has previously threatened to impose “secondary tariffs” targeting Russia’s remaining trade partners, such as China and India.
Trump said Tuesday that he would await the outcome of the Moscow talks before moving forward with any economic retaliation.
“We’re going to see what happens,” he told reporters. “We’ll make that determination at that time.”
Despite pressure from Washington, Russia has continued its campaign against its neighbour. Moscow has demanded that Ukraine cede more territory and renounce Western support.
Kyiv is calling for an immediate ceasefire, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky last week urged his allies to push for “regime change” in Moscow.
