US Special Envoy Whitkoff Arrives in Moscow

The special envoy of the U.S. President, Steven Whitkoff, has arrived in Moscow for talks with the Russian leadership. He landed at Vnukovo Airport, according to reports on the morning of Wednesday, August 6, from Reuters as well as Russian state media TASS and RIA Novosti, citing sources. Whitkoff was met by the head of the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF), Kirill Dmitriev, who had been part of the Russian delegation in previous negotiations with the U.S. on ending the war in Ukraine.

The envoy's visit to Russia had earlier been announced by U.S. President Donald Trump, who gave his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin a 10-day deadline to take steps toward ending the war in Ukraine. According to Trump, Moscow "would like to see" Whitkoff. "They invited him to a meeting. So we’ll see what comes of it," Trump said. The ultimatum expires in two days.

When asked what would happen if Russia refuses peace in Ukraine, Trump replied: "Well, there will be sanctions. But they are cunning and quite good at bypassing sanctions. So we’ll see what comes of it." According to the U.S. President, to avoid sanctions, Moscow must make a "deal so that people stop dying."
"We’ve already stopped many countries from going to war," Trump said, citing examples such as India and Pakistan, Cambodia and Thailand, the DRC and Rwanda. "We intend to stop this war too—someone has to do it," stated Donald Trump.