Steve Witkoff, US President Donald Trump's special envoy, is expected to travel to Russia this week a new deadline looming for Russia to take steps to end the war or face sanctions targeting oil exports.
Trump said Witkoff will fly to Moscow following his current trip to Israel but did not provide a specific itinerary. The Kremlin on August 4 did not confirm the visit, but did say President Vladimir Putin may meet with Witkoff this week.
"We are always happy to see Mr. Witkoff in Moscow...We consider such contact important, substantial and helpful," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters.
Speaking to reporters on August 3, Trump again warned that he would impose sanctions if Moscow does not agree to a cease-fire in the war in Ukraine by August 8.
"There'll be sanctions, but they seem to be pretty good at avoiding sanctions," Trump said. "They're wily characters and they're pretty good at avoiding sanctions, so we'll see what happens."
The secondary tariffs would likely target China and India, the two largest buyers of Russian oil.
Kyiv and Moscow have been trading strikes ahead of the deadline set by Trump.
In the most recent attack, three people were killed in Ukraine's southeastern region of Zaporizhzhya, Governor Ivan Fedorov said late on August 3.
Stepnohirsk, a town only a few kilometers from the front line,was attacked,Fedorov wrote on Telegram, adding that two men, ages 40 and 50, and a woman, 58, were killed. Private homes were also destroyed, he said.
Russia also reportedly launched at least one Kinzhal (Dagger) hypersonic missile overnight, with Ukraine's military saying an air base in western Ukraine was likely the intended target.
It added that the attack had been repelled, though Russian Defense Ministry said the "objective of the strike has been achieved."
Debris from attacks across the Odesa region and the outskirts of Kyiv also sparked several fires, which local officials were quickly extinguished.
Deadline Moved Up
Trump has been pressuring Russian President Vladimir Putin to agree to a cease-fire and an end to the war, now in its fourth year.
