US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff to visit Russia next week, says Trump

Washington: US President Donald Trump confirmed that his special envoy Steve Witkoff is to visit Russia next week, amid heightened tensions over the US sanctions deadline.

Addressing reporters in New Jersey on Sunday, the US President said, “But Steve is focused right now on the border, in terms of we’re talking about with Gaza getting people fed, and he may be going, I think next week, Wednesday or Thursday, maybe going to Russia. They would like to see him. They’ve asked that he meet. So, we’ll see what happens.”

Trump also confirmed that Russia could face sanctions by August 9 if an agreement is not reached on resolving the Ukraine crisis.

“But they seem to be pretty good at avoiding sanctions,” he added.

Responding to a question on whether there was anything Russia could do to avoid sanctions, the US President said that it would require “a deal where people stop getting killed.”

The upcoming visit of the US Special Presidential Envoy, Steve Witkoff, comes at a time when tensions between Washington and Moscow are escalating.

Earlier, Trump ordered two nuclear submarines to “appropriate” points to confront Russia as the war of words between him and former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev continues to escalate, spilling over from the digital domain to the real world.

Their fight started when Mededev posted on X earlier in the week that Trump’s “each new ultimatum is a threat and a step towards war” between the US and Russia.

On July 14, Trump set a 50-day deadline, stressing that he would impose 100 per cent tariffs on Moscow and its trading partners if Russia did not make a peace deal with Ukraine.

Recently, on July 29, the US President said he was reducing the deadline to 10-12 days.

In response to Trump shortening the deadline for a ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine from the original 50 days to ten days, which will end this week, Mededev, who is now the deputy chair of Russia’s National Security Council, said, “Trump’s playing the ultimatum game with Russia: 50 days or 10.”

“He should remember 2 things: 1. Russia isn’t Israel or even Iran. 2. Each new ultimatum is a threat and a step towards war. Not between Russia and Ukraine, but with his own country. Don’t go down the Sleepy Joe road!” Medvedev posted on X.

IANS