Trump: Witkoff to Visit Russia / Sanctions Await If Moscow Rejects Ceasefire

According to the Economic Times, Trump had previously announced that his special envoy to the Middle East—currently in the occupied territories—would travel to Russia following that trip. However, no specific itinerary for the Russia visit has yet been disclosed.

Trump, who had earlier discussed the possibility of sending his Middle East envoy to Russia, told reporters:
"I believe Witkoff will be in Moscow on Wednesday or Thursday (August 6 or 7 / Mordad 15 or 16), as they have asked him to visit."

The U.S. President also reiterated his warning that if Russia does not agree to a ceasefire in the Ukraine war by August 8 (Mordad 17), sanctions will be imposed on Moscow.

He added:
"Certainly, we will impose sanctions against Russia. However, they are very good at circumventing sanctions, so we will see what happens."

Trump went on to mention the two American nuclear submarines that became a point of focus following his verbal clash with Dmitry Medvedev, the Chairman of Russia’s Security Council. He stressed that the submarines are now "in the region," though he did not specify their exact location, which remains classified by the U.S. military.

It is worth noting that Trump had previously ordered the deployment of two U.S. nuclear submarines to "appropriate areas" related to Russia—a move made in response to escalating tensions with Medvedev, the former Russian president, and the breakdown of peace negotiations between Kyiv and Moscow.

Trump and Medvedev had earlier exchanged sharp remarks on social media. Previously, Trump had issued an ultimatum to Russia, stating that if a ceasefire was not agreed upon by the upcoming Friday, a new package of economic sanctions would be imposed.

In response, Medvedev posted on social media that Trump’s threat was “a step toward war,” accusing him of initiating an “ultimatum game” with Russia.

Trump, in turn, wrote on the Truth Social platform:
“Words are very important and can often lead to unintended consequences. I hope this is not one of those cases.”

He described Medvedev’s remarks as “highly provocative” and emphasized that his own actions were purely preventive.

The U.S. President wrote:
“I ordered two nuclear submarines to be deployed in appropriate areas, only in case those foolish and provocative words turn out to be more than just words.”