U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff is expected to visit Russia in the coming days for further talks on the war in Ukraine, according to U.S. President Donald Trump.
On Sunday, Trump teased a meeting with Witkoff and Russian officials in the follow-up to previous talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin, which have not yielded progress.
As Russia’s bombardments of Ukraine continue unabated, Yuriy Boyechko—the CEO of Hope for Ukraine, a charity that helps communities on the front line of the war—told Newsweek that based on Putin’s rhetoric, Witkoff’s trip “appears to be a complete waste of time and resources.”
Newsweek has contacted the White House for comment.
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Why It Matters
Trump has expressed growing impatience at Moscow’s intransigence in ending the war it began three and a half years ago, threatening secondary sanctions on Russia if it did not agree to a ceasefire within 50 days.
This has since been shortened to less than two weeks, and Trump’s announcement of further talks involving his envoy is likely meant to add pressure on Moscow, although the Kremlin’s rhetoric since the U.S. president’s threats of sanctions suggests no shift in its war aims.
What To Know
Trump told reporters on Sunday that Witkoff would soon go to Moscow. “I think next week, Wednesday or Thursday,” the U.S. president said, and the envoy would convey the message to Russia to stop the killing.
Ukrainian media reported this meeting as taking place on August 6 or 7, which would be before a deadline of “10 or 12 days”—down from a previous warning of 50 days—which Trump set for Moscow to agree to a deal or face tough tariffs.
Neither the markets nor the Kremlin have responded with concern to either time frame, the latest one falling on August 8.
Witkoff, a real estate magnate, has already met Putin several times in Moscow in his role as a White House special envoy, but the Russian leader has repeatedly rejected American ceasefire plans.
Trump has stepped up his criticism of Putin in recent weeks, condemning Russia’s actions as “disgusting” after a Russian attack on an apartment block in Ukraine’s capital, Kyiv, killed 31 people on Thursday.
Boyechko said Putin was not ready to stop the war and would not back down in his demands that Ukraine hand over the remaining parts of the Donetsk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions still under Ukrainian control.
He said the focus for the U.S. should be closing loopholes that allow Russia to generate revenue from oil sales and that frozen Russian assets should be used to fund military aid for Ukraine.
What People Are Saying
U.S. President Donald Trump said on Sunday that his special envoy would be in Moscow “next week, Wednesday or Thursday,” and that he wanted to “get a deal where people stop getting killed.”
He added: “We need a lasting and stable peace on solid foundations that would satisfy both Russia and Ukraine, and would ensure the security of both countries.”
Hope for Ukraine CEO Yuriy Boyechko told Newsweek that based on Russian President Vladimir Putin’s recent comments, Witkoff’s trip “appears to be a complete waste of time and resources. It is clear that Putin has made up his mind and will continue fighting as long as he has the funds to do so.”
He added: “For Putin, occupying Ukraine is a life mission. He intends to use Ukrainians under Russian rule to eventually attack NATO countries.”
What Happens Next
Given Russia’s continued attacks on Ukraine, the chances of any breakthrough in diplomatic talks appear remote.
The Institute for the Study of War said in an assessment that Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s comments on Friday, in which he blamed Kyiv for the slowing of negotiations, showed that Moscow was not backing down on its long-standing demands of, in essence, the complete capitulation of Ukraine.
