US envoy Witkoff in Russia as Trump's Ukraine ceasefire deadline looms
President Donald Trump has warned that he would impose sanctions on Russia if Moscow does not agree to a ceasefire in its war on Ukraine before Friday.
The White House has not outlined specific actions it plans to take, but Trump has previously threatened to impose 'secondary tariffs' against Russia's trade partners, such as India and China.
After arriving in Moscow on Wednesday, Witkoff was met by presidential special representative Kirill Dmitriev, Russian state news agency TASS said.
Dmitriev had played a key role in direct peace talks between Russia and Ukraine in Istanbul in recent months, as well as discussions between Russian and US officials.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov welcomed on Monday Witkoff's visit. 'We consider (talks with Witkoff) important, substantive and very useful,' he said.
The Kremlin has not said whether Witkoff will meet President Vladimir Putin during his visit.
When reporters asked Trump on Monday what Witkoff's message would be to Moscow, and if there was anything Russia could do to avoid the sanctions, Trump replied: 'Yeah, get a deal where people stop getting killed.'
Witkoff, a real estate billionaire, has had several long meetings with Putin. He had no diplomatic experience before joining Trump's team in January, and critics have portrayed him as over his head for such tasks.
Three previous rounds of peace talks in Istanbul in an attempt to broker a ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine have failed to make headway.
Putin, who has consistently rejected calls for a ceasefire, said on Friday that he wants peace but that his demands for ending the nearly three-and-a-half-year offensive were unchanged. Moscow has demanded that Ukraine cede more territory and renounce Western support, including seeking NATO membership.
Kyiv is calling for an immediate ceasefire, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy last week urged his allies to push for 'regime change' in Moscow.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Al Jazeera
an hour ago
- Al Jazeera
Ukraine says it hit oil refinery in Russia's Saratov, Moscow says one dead
Ukraine's military has said it struck an oil refinery in Russia's Saratov region in an overnight drone attack, causing explosions and destruction, according to an army statement, as daily aerial exchanges intensify with diplomatic momentum to end the war in play. Saratov's governor said on Sunday that one person was killed and several residential apartments and an industrial facility were damaged, but did not mention the oil refinery being struck. '[Ukrainian] drones are targeting … deeper into Russian territory [than] in the past, where previous attacks have been focused on the line of contact in the south and the western parts of Russia,' said Al Jazeera's Osama bin Javed, reporting Moscow. It is still unclear whether the Ukrainian claims that they hit a refinery are true, he added. Ukraine's military also said on Sunday that it had taken back a village in the Sumy region from the Russian army which has made significant recent gains there. Ukrainian troops have 'liberated and completely cleared' Russian forces from Bezsalivka, the military general staff said in a Telegram post. It said 18 Russian troops had been 'eliminated' in the fighting. Russia's war in Ukraine is now into its in fourth year, as European leaders have welcomed plans by United States President Donald Trump to hold direct talks with his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, on ending the conflict. In Ukraine, three swimmers were killed by unexploded objects in the country's southern Odesa region at two beaches where swimming has been banned, regional officials said on Sunday. The Black Sea region has long been a popular summer destination, but authorities have urged caution since Russia's full-scale invasion left mines scattered near its coast. 'All of them were blown up by explosive objects while swimming in prohibited recreational zones,' Regional governor Oleh Kiper said in a statement. On Saturday, Russia launched a drone attack on a bus in Ukraine's Kherson region, killing at least two people and wounding 16 others, according to Ukrainian officials. Another drone hit the bus as the police were responding to the attack, injuring three officers, the police added. Russian attacks on Ukraine's Zaporizhia region also killed two people travelling in a car in the Bilenkivska community on Saturday, as well as a 61-year-old woman who was in her home in the Vasylivka district, a local official reported. Ukraine's air force said it intercepted 16 of the 47 Russian drones launched overnight, while 31 drones hit targets across 15 different locations. Russia's Defence Ministry said its air defences shot down 97 Ukrainian drones over Russia and the Black Sea overnight and 21 more on Saturday morning. Europe stresses support for Ukraine ahead of Trump-Putin talks Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has rejected any suggestion of land concessions to Russia as international efforts to end the war continue. Trump, who had promised to end the war within 24 hours of reentering the White House, plans to meet Putin in Alaska on Friday, saying the parties were close to a deal that could resolve the conflict. Trump is reportedly open to in inviting Zelenskyy to Alaska, but there has been no confirmation as of yet. Putin has insisted the conditions must be right for he and teh Ukraianian leader to meet in person. The leaders of the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, Poland and Finland, together with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, on Sunday issued a joint statement welcoming Trump's efforts, while stressing the need to maintain support for Ukraine and pressure on Russia. 'The emphasis [of the European statement was] … that this is a war that is in Ukraine, but is in Europe too, and has huge potential ramifications for European security,' said Al Jazeera's Charles Stratford, reporting from Ukraine's capital of Kyiv. The Wall Street Journal also reported that European officials who met US Vice President JD Vance in the United Kingdom on Saturday had presented a counterproposal for peace, which included demands that a ceasefire must take place before any other steps are taken. The proposal also said that any territory exchanges must be reciprocal, with firm security guarantees.
Al Jazeera
4 hours ago
- Al Jazeera
Zelenskyy rejects ‘gifting land' to Russia ahead of Trump-Putin meeting
Zelenskyy rejects 'gifting land' to Russia ahead of Trump-Putin meeting NewsFeed Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has staunchly rejected a suggestion by Donald Trump that 'swapping territory' could be a way to end Russia's war on Ukraine. European leaders have reiterated their support for Kyiv ahead of planned talks between the US President and Russia's Putin. Video Duration 01 minutes 16 seconds 01:16 Video Duration 01 minutes 27 seconds 01:27 Video Duration 02 minutes 59 seconds 02:59 Video Duration 00 minutes 57 seconds 00:57 Video Duration 01 minutes 30 seconds 01:30 Video Duration 00 minutes 47 seconds 00:47 Video Duration 02 minutes 03 seconds 02:03
Al Jazeera
9 hours ago
- Al Jazeera
Europe promises to ‘stand firmly' with Ukraine as Trump, Putin plan summit
European leaders have welcomed plans by United States President Donald Trump to hold talks with his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, on ending the war in Ukraine, but called for continued support for Kyiv and pressure on Moscow to achieve a just and lasting peace. The statement by France, Italy, Germany, Poland, the United Kingdom and the European Commission late on Saturday came as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy insisted that Kyiv will not surrender land to Russia to buy peace. Trump, who has promised to end the three-year war, plans to meet Putin in Alaska on Friday, saying the parties were close to a deal that could resolve the conflict. Details of a potential agreement have not been announced, but Trump said it would involve 'some swapping of territories to the betterment of both'. It could require Ukraine to surrender significant parts of its territory, an outcome Zelenskyy and his European allies say would only encourage Russian aggression. The European leaders, in their joint statement, stressed their belief that the only approach to end the war successfully required active diplomacy, support for Ukraine, as well as pressure on Russia. They also said any diplomatic solution to the war must protect Ukraine's and Europe's security interests. 'We agree that these vital interests include the need for robust and credible security guarantees that enable Ukraine to effectively defend its sovereignty and territorial integrity,' they said, adding that 'the path to peace in Ukraine cannot be decided without Ukraine.' The leaders said they were ready to help diplomatically and promised to maintain their 'substantial military and financial support for Ukraine'. 'We underline our unwavering commitment to the sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity of Ukraine,' they said, adding: 'We continue to stand firmly alongside Ukraine.' Chevening talks The statement came after US Vice President JD Vance met British Foreign Secretary David Lammy and representatives of Ukraine and European allies on Saturday at Chevening House, a country mansion southeast of London, to discuss Trump's push for peace. Zelenskyy's chief of staff, Andriy Yermak, who took part in the talks with European leaders and US officials, said Ukraine was grateful for their constructive approach. 'A ceasefire is necessary – but the front line is not a border,' Yermak said on X, reiterating Kyiv's position that it will reject any territorial concessions to Russia. Yermak also thanked Vance for 'respecting all points of view' and his efforts towards a 'reliable peace'. The Reuters news agency, quoting a European official, said European representatives had put forward a counterproposal, while the Wall Street Journal said the document included demands that a ceasefire must take place before any other steps are taken. According to the Journal, the document also stated that any territorial exchange must be reciprocal, with firm security guarantees. 'You can't start a process by ceding territory in the middle of fighting,' the newspaper quoted a European negotiator as saying. There was no immediate comment from the White House on the European counterproposal. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and French President Emmanuel Macron also spoke earlier in the day and promised to find a 'just and lasting peace' in Ukraine, pledging 'unwavering support' for Zelenskyy while welcoming Trump's efforts to end the fighting, according to a spokesperson for Downing Street. Macron separately stressed the need for Ukraine to play a role in any negotiations. 'Ukraine's future cannot be decided without the Ukrainians, who have been fighting for their freedom and security for over three years now,' he wrote on X after what he said were calls with Zelenskyy, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and Starmer. 'Europeans will also necessarily be part of the solution, as their own security is at stake,' he added. Trilateral meeting? Meanwhile, Reuters and the NBC News broadcaster, quoting US officials, reported that Trump is open to a trilateral summit with Putin and Zelenskyy. But, for now, the White House is planning a bilateral meeting as requested by the Russian leader, they said. The summit in Alaska, the far-north territory which Russia sold to the US in 1867, would be the first between sitting US and Russian presidents since Joe Biden met Putin in Geneva in June 2021. Nine months after that meeting, Moscow sent troops into Ukraine. Trump and Putin last sat together in 2019 at a G20 summit meeting in Japan, during Trump's first term. They have spoken by telephone several times since January, but the US president has failed to broker peace in Ukraine as he promised he could. Ukraine and the EU have meanwhile pushed back on peace proposals that they view as ceding too much to Putin, whose troops invaded Ukraine in February 2022. Russia justifies the war on the grounds of what it calls threats to its security from a Ukrainian pivot towards the West. Kyiv and its Western allies say the invasion is an imperial-style land grab. Moscow has claimed four Ukrainian regions – Luhansk, Donetsk, Zaporizhia and Kherson – as well as the Black Sea peninsula of Crimea, which was annexed in 2014. Russian forces do not fully control all the territory in the four regions, and Russia has demanded that Ukraine pull out its troops from the parts that it still controls. Ukraine says its troops still have a small foothold in Russia's Kursk region, a year after they crossed the border to try to gain leverage in any negotiations. Russia said it had expelled Ukrainian troops from Kursk in April. Fierce fighting meanwhile continues to rage along the more than 1,000-km (620-mile) front line in eastern and southern Ukraine, where Russian forces hold about a fifth of the country's territory. Russian troops are slowly advancing in Ukraine's east, but their summer offensive has so far failed to achieve a major breakthrough, Ukrainian military analysts say. Ukrainians remain defiant. 'Not a single serviceman will agree to cede territory, to pull out troops from Ukrainian territories,' Olesia Petritska, 51, told Reuters as she gestured to hundreds of small Ukrainian flags in the Kyiv central square commemorating fallen soldiers.
