President Donald Trump confirmed Sunday his special envoy Steve Witkoff will visit Russia in the coming week, ahead of a looming US sanctions deadline and escalating tensions with Moscow.The Republican leader said Witkoff would visit "I think next week,

President Trump’s U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff is set to visit Russia this week after the president issued an ultimatum for Russian President Putin, with the goal of achieving a ceasefire agreement for the war in Ukraine by Friday.

U S President Donald Trump on Sunday said special envoy Steve Witkoff may travel to Russia, potentially on Wednesday or Thursday, as he warned that he would impose sanctions if Moscow does not agree to a ceasefire in the war in Ukraine before Friday.

The Russian president says Moscow's initial tough demands must be met, despite a looming US sanctions deadline.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said that Moscow hoped for more peace talks with Ukraine but that the momentum of the war was in its favour, signalling no shift in his stance despite a looming sanctions deadline from Washington.

"Sanctions are working," Andriy Yermak, the head of Zelenskyy's office, wrote on Telegram on Sunday, citing data he said shows a collapse in Russian railway capacity over the past 12 months. "The economy,