Trump announces possible visit of Vitkoff to Putin and new sanctions amid Ukraine conflict
The President of the United States, Donald Trump, made a surprising announcement regarding upcoming diplomatic steps to resolve the conflict in Ukraine.
He stated that his personal envoy and adviser, Steve Vitkoff, plans to visit Moscow later this week — on Wednesday or Thursday — to hold essential negotiations with Russian authorities.
The primary goal of this visit is to explore ways to cease hostilities and reach a compromise.
However, Trump warned that if Russia refuses to agree to a ceasefire by the end of this week, additional sanctions could be imposed.
Speaking before boarding a plane to Pennsylvania, Trump said: 'Sanctions will be applied, but they seem to be easily circumvented.
They are clever, and they know how to bypass sanctions.
We will see what happens.' He also emphasized the importance of delivering a strong message to the Russian side, highlighting the need to stop the loss of lives.
Despite previous experiences in ending conflicts, he acknowledged that this situation has proven to be the most challenging.
Furthermore, there is an assessment from the US ambassador to NATO, indicating that Russia’s ability to fund the war may deplete quickly, which could be a severe blow to the Kremlin.
Vitkoff has visited Moscow four times in recent months — in February, March, and twice in April — meeting with President Vladimir Putin on each occasion.
After one of his visits, he suggested that a potential peace settlement might involve Russia gaining control over certain Ukrainian territories, but not all.
He also indicated that Ukraine could consider less attention to some regions that are predominantly Russian-speaking.
Previously, Trump set a ten-day deadline for Putin to cease fire starting from July 29.
Later, he changed his stance, expressing doubts that his personal relationship with Putin could facilitate peace negotiations.
Instead, he relies on increasing political pressure and significant military aid to support Ukraine on the battlefield.