Trump announces special envoy Witkoff's upcoming visit to Russia

Trump made the statement during a press briefing at the White House on Thursday, Ukrinform reports, citing CNN.

According to Trump, Witkoff will head to Russia following his visit to Israel, where he is currently holding talks with Israeli officials regarding the situation in Gaza.

"He's going to Russia, believe it or not," Trump said.

Additional details on Witkoff's upcoming travel were not immediately available.

Witkoff's last known visit to Russia was in April, when he met Vladimir Putin in the Kremlin. Those talks did not yield an immediate breakthrough in bringing the Ukraine war to an end. And since then, Trump's frustration toward Putin has increased as prospects for peace grow dim.

Trump expressed doubt that sanctions alone could fundamentally change Putin's approach to the war in Ukraine. However, he emphasized that he would impose them if Russia failed to agree to a peace deal by August 8.

Photo: White House