For the fifth time since the beginning of the year, Steve Witkoff went to Russia. The special envoy of the US President Donald Trump for the “peace missions” was received by Vladimir Putin in a sumptuous Cremlin room, with smiles and hands -up widely documented by the state media.
The journey comes 48 hours after the expiry of the ultimatum imposed by Trump: either the offensive in Ukraine by Friday, or new sanctions will stop in Ukraine. Witkoff, who has always met Putin in these missions in Russia, was welcomed to the Vnukovo airport in Moscow by the advance for foreign investments Kirill Dmitriev, head of the direct investment fund,
The last mission of the propertyist transformed by Trump into a negotiator of the most delicate dossiers dates back to April 25, when he discussed the resumption of direct negotiations between Moscow and Kiev. Since then, the delegations have met three times in Türkiye, defining agreements for the exchange of the corpses of soldiers killed at the front and prisoners.
Ultimatum and commercial threats
Washington raised the pressure on Moscow last week after yet another polemical exchange with Dmitri Medvedev via social media. Trump has deployed two nuclear submarines and announced that in the absence of progress towards a ceasefire, commercial penalties will also start against the countries that continue to do business with Russia such as India and China.
Thus Trump wants to collapse the price of oil and stop Putin
“I have never talked about percentages, but we will do many things in this sense,” the president said yesterday (Tuesday 5 August), suggesting that 100 percent duties are not excluded. And he added: “We have a meeting with Russia tomorrow. We will see what happens. We will make the decision at that moment”.
The frustration of the White House
Trump appears more and more impatient. Since the two sides resumed the peace talks directed in May, Russia has carried out its heaviest air attacks of the war, killing at least 72 people in the capital Kiev alone. Last week Trump defined the “disgusting” Russian attacks.
On Monday, to those who asked him what was the message that Witkoff would bring to Moscow and if there was a way to avoid penalties, the US president replied: “Yes, conclude an agreement because people stop being killed”. A message relaunched also by Volodymyr Zelensky, who invited the United States, Europe and G7 to “strengthen all their tools against Russia”, after discussed with Trump of sanctions and military cooperation, including “an agreement project on drones”.
European support
To strengthen the defenses of Ukraine, Sweden, Denmark and Norway yesterday announced the intention of buying weapons from US stocks. Stockholm, Copenhagen and Oslo will give military aid for a total value of 500 million dollars, including air defense systems, anti -tank weapons, ammunition and spare parts.
“Ukraine is not fighting only for their security, but also for ours,” said the Swedish defense minister Pal Jonson in a press conference. Last month, the President of the United States announced a plan, in collaboration with the NATO Capo Mark Rutte, for the purchase of European allies and Canada of American weapons, in particular advanced patriot systems, to be sent to Ukraine.
What’s on the table?
According to some rumors reported by Bloomberg and the Russian site The Bell, the Kremlin could offer a moratory on aerial bombings on both sides. A move that would not be equivalent to a full fire, but could represent a first glimmer. The idea had already been launched by President Bielorusso Lukashenko.
The Kremlin responds to Trump’s ultimatum on penalties against Moscow: “Putin is ready to see Zelensky”
But sources close to the Kremlin, cited by Reuters, remain skeptical. “Putin believes he is winning the war and will not make concessions that compromise his military goals,” they explained. The meeting with Witkoff would therefore only be “a last attempt to save the face”, according to the Austrian analyst Gerhard Mangott.
Irreconcilable objectives
For Moscow, the conditions for peace have remained the same for at least two years: recognition of the occupied territories (Donetsk, Lugansk, Zaporijjia, Kherson and Crimea), neutrality of Ukraine, protection of Russian and the end of the flooding of NATO in Est. Kiev, for its part, reiterates that it will never accept the loss of sovereignty nor will it come to the prospect of adaptation Eurotlantic.
“The war must end, and now it is Russia’s responsibility,” wrote the head of Cabinetto di Zelensky, Andriy Yermak on Telegram.
An improvised diplomat
Witkoff, a billionaire in the real estate sector and without any diplomatic experience, was enrolled in January to manage three crises at the same time: Ukraine, Gaza and Iran.
In the past he has been accused of being too condescending towards the Kremlin. In an interview with Tucker Carlson in March he had declared that “it is absurd to think that Putin wants to annex Ukraine or invade Europe”. Thesis contested by Kiev and his allies, which see in the Russian invasion a strategic threat on continental scale.
The front remains hot
Despite diplomatic attempts, war continues. On Wednesday morning, attacks with Russian drones wounded five civilians among the Ukrainian regions of Zaporijjia and Kherson. Moscow, for its part, said she intercepted 51 Ukrainian drones in the night. Meanwhile, Sweden, Denmark and Norway have announced a joint package of military aid for 500 million dollars, including air defense systems, anti -tank weapons and ammunition.
“Ukraine does not fight only for their safety, but also for ours,” said the Swedish defense minister Pal Jonson. According to Russian sources mentioned by Reuters, Putin does not want to further worsen relations with Trump, but considers his war goals priority.
The threat of new US sanctions is seen as a weapon now sprouted, after more than three years of war and economic restrictions. Trump, for his part, risks losing his face if the ultimatum does not lead to concrete results.
