US President Donald Trump has confirmed that his special envoy Steve Witkoff will travel to Russia this week. According to the American leader, the visit could take place on Wednesday or Thursday, and Moscow itself has invited Washington's representative.
" He might go, I think next week, Wednesday or Thursday, maybe go to Russia. They would like to see him. They asked him to meet, and we'll see what happens, " Trump said during a meeting with reporters.
Speaking about the possible consequences of the visit, Trump recalled his ultimatum to the Kremlin: if Russia does not agree to a ceasefire in Ukraine by the set deadline, he will impose tough sanctions. In particular, it is a 100% tariff on imports from any countries that continue to buy Russian oil.
At the same time, the US President noted that Russia has experience in circumvention schemes, but Washington is counting on reaching agreements:
“There will be sanctions, but they seem to be pretty good at avoiding sanctions. You know, they're cunning characters, and they're pretty good at avoiding sanctions, so let's see what happens.“.
Asked what Witkoff's message to the Russian side would be, Trump stressed that the main goal is an agreement that will stop the killing. He recalled the significant losses on both sides of the conflict.
Last week, Trump first announced Witkoff's visit to Moscow, and US Ambassador to NATO Matt Whitaker suggested that the talks could yield "some results" that could bring an end to the war in Ukraine closer.
