US envoy meets Putin amid deadline as Ukraine war enters crucial phase

A high-stakes meeting is underway at the Kremlin between US envoy Steve Witkoff and Russian President Vladimir Putin, as diplomatic efforts to end the ongoing conflict in Ukraine intensify amid mounting international pressure.

Witkoff arrived in Moscow on August 6, coinciding with a looming deadline set by US President Donald Trump for Russia to agree to a ceasefire in Ukraine, Caliber.Az reports, citing foreign media.

Trump has warned that failure to take concrete steps toward peace could trigger severe sanctions against Russia, including secondary sanctions targeting entities that continue to trade with Moscow.

Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy welcomed the threat of enhanced US sanctions and tariffs on nations purchasing Russian oil, while cautioning that “Russia would only make serious moves towards peace if it began to run out of money.”

Despite the mounting pressure, expectations for a ceasefire or settlement by August 8 remain low. Russia has persisted with large-scale air assaults on Ukrainian cities, undeterred by threats of punitive measures from the West.

Previous rounds of negotiations between Kyiv and Moscow, held in Istanbul, have failed to yield substantive progress after more than three years of full-scale invasion. Moscow’s political and military preconditions for peace continue to be rejected by Ukraine and its Western allies. Moreover, the Kremlin has repeatedly dismissed Kyiv’s requests for a direct meeting between Presidents Zelenskyy and Putin.

In parallel, the US administration authorized an additional $200 million in military aid to Ukraine on August 5, following a phone conversation between Zelenskyy and Trump. The two leaders discussed ongoing defence cooperation and the production of drones—an increasingly pivotal tool in Ukraine’s strategy to target Russian refineries and energy infrastructure.

Moscow, conversely, has focused its air attacks on civilian urban centers in Ukraine. The Kyiv City Military Administration recently reported that the death toll from a recent strike on the capital rose to 32 after a man succumbed to his injuries, marking the deadliest attack on Kyiv since the onset of the war.

On August 6, Ukrainian officials also reported a Russian strike on a holiday camp in the central Zaporizhia region, resulting in two fatalities and twelve injuries. 

By Vafa Guliyeva