Trump's envoy visit to Moscow is anticipated, expected to occur before the expiration of the sanctions deadlines
In a bid to broker peace between Russia and Ukraine, U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff met with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow on August 6, 2025. The meeting came ahead of a deadline set by former U.S. President Donald Trump for Moscow to agree to peace talks with Ukraine or face severe sanctions.
The Kremlin confirmed that Putin agreed to meet with Trump soon, but the planned meeting will be only between Trump and Putin, not including Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy despite Witkoff’s proposal for a trilateral meeting.
Trump has been pushing for a peace deal between Russia and Ukraine to be reached by August 8, 2025, but experts remain skeptical about substantive progress due to ongoing battlefield dynamics and Putin’s unchanged strategic goals. Trump also warned of new sanctions, including secondary sanctions targeting major Russian fossil fuel customers like India and China, and already imposed a 25% tariff on Indian exports to the U.S. due to India’s economic cooperation with Russia.
In the midst of these diplomatic efforts, the military conflict continues. Russia has reportedly fired a record number of drones at Ukraine last month, according to AFP analysis of Kyiv's air force data. Separate Russian strikes in the Zaporizhzhia and Kherson regions killed five people, according to Ukrainian officials. Meanwhile, both sides have reported downing dozens of enemy drones overnight in the latest barrage.
Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has called for an immediate ceasefire, and announced a prisoner exchange that would see 1,200 Ukrainian troops return home. Zelenskyy was also visiting troops at the front in the Kharkiv region.
Despite the ongoing conflict, Andriy Yermak, the chief of staff to Zelenskyy, supports Trump’s actions. Yermak believes that “peace through strength” is effective, and claims that the appearance of American nuclear submarines made a Russian individual who was threatening nuclear war go silent.
The peace talks between Russia and Ukraine in Istanbul have failed to make headway on a possible ceasefire. Moscow has demanded that Ukraine cede more territory and renounce Western support. Russia is seeking to establish a “buffer zone” inside the Kharkiv region along the Russian-Ukrainian border.
As the deadline set by Trump approaches, it remains to be seen whether diplomatic efforts will lead to a breakthrough in the ongoing conflict. The latest developments show that while diplomatic efforts involving Witkoff continue, tangible progress in peace talks remains elusive amid ongoing military conflict and looming sanctions pressure.
- The ongoing battlefield dynamics and unchanged strategic goals of Russia, as well as the looming sanctions pressure, have led experts to remain skeptical about substantive progress in the peace talks between Russia and Ukraine.
- In the latest barrage, both sides have reported downing dozens of enemy drones, with a record number of drones reportedly fired by Russia, according to AFP analysis of Kyiv's air force data.
- Despite the ongoing conflict, Andriy Yermak, the chief of staff to Zelenskyy, supports Trump’s actions in broker negotiations, believing that “peace through strength” is effective and that the appearance of American nuclear submarines made a Russian individual who was threatening nuclear war go silent.
