U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff landed in Moscow on Wednesday for talks that could include President Vladimir Putin, as Washington warns it will impose fresh sanctions if Russia fails to accept a Ukraine ceasefire by Friday.
Witkoff was met at Vnukovo airport by Kremlin investment envoy Kirill Dmitriev, a Russian official told Reuters. The Kremlin has “not ruled out” a meeting between the U.S. envoy and Putin, raising the stakes of a last-minute bid to halt the 3½-year war.
President Donald Trump said last week that Moscow must agree to a ceasefire or face new U.S. measures, including heavy tariffs on countries buying Russian oil—chiefly India and China. “This visit is a final attempt to find a face-saving solution for both sides,” Austrian analyst Gerhard Mangott said in a telephone interview.
Three sources close to the Kremlin told Reuters that Putin is unlikely to accept the ultimatum, believing Russian forces hold the battlefield advantage and that additional sanctions will do little damage after successive rounds of penalties.
Russian officials insist they are ready for a ceasefire only under conditions long set out by Moscow, while the White House says any deal must respect Ukraine’s sovereignty. Trump has given no details of the tariffs he threatens to impose if Friday’s deadline passes without agreement.
The envoy’s arrival comes as Western capitals debate how far to tighten economic pressure on Russia, whose oil exports still generate more than $400 billion (about £310 billion) in annual revenue, according to the International Energy Agency.
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President Donald Trump said Iran is keen to reach a deal with the United States, claiming Washington had paused engagement to allow funeral ceremonies for late Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.
Russia's Defence Ministry has said its forces are clearing the town of Lyman in Donetsk of Ukrainian forces, Moscow's state news agency Tass reported. Meanwhile, Russian attacks killed at least six people across three Ukrainian regions on Friday, regional officials said.
Uzbekistan will open an embassy in Georgia, the Central Asian country’s presidency has said. The announcement follows talks between Uzbekistan’s President Shavkat Mirziyoyev and Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze in Tbilisi.
Thousands of demonstrators took to the streets of the eastern German city of Erfurt on Saturday as the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) opened its annual party conference, where delegates voted to keep Alice Weidel and Tino Chrupalla as the party's co-leaders.
The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) has raised its forecast for the rapid emergence of a strong El Niño, warning the climate pattern is likely to drive higher global temperatures and intensify extreme weather in the months ahead.
India is investigating a data breach at Tata Electronics that exposed sensitive documents linked to Apple's unreleased iPhone 18 Pro, marking the government's first public comments on the incident.
Iran and the U.S. have concluded indirect talks in Doha without a major breakthrough, with discussions focused on maritime traffic in the Strait of Hormuz and frozen Iranian funds. Both sides are expected to meet again after the funeral of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
International politicians and religious leaders have paid respects to Iran's late Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei throughout the day, ahead of his six day funeral ceremony which begins on Saturday. His casket is currently on display at the Iman Khomeini Grand Mosalla in Tehran.
Germany has requested urgent talks with China's ambassador following reports that Chinese authorities trained Russian soldiers, adding fresh strain to relations between Beijing and Europe amid the war in Ukraine.
Russia's Defence Ministry has said its forces are clearing the town of Lyman in Donetsk of Ukrainian forces, Moscow's state news agency Tass reported. Meanwhile, Russian attacks killed at least six people across three Ukrainian regions on Friday, regional officials said.
French President Emmanuel Macron is expected to use next week's NATO summit in Ankara to advance his push for greater European responsibility in security, with a bilateral meeting planned with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan as Paris seeks closer coordination with key allies.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has congratulated U.S. President Donald Trump on the 250th anniversary of American independence, saying Russia and the United States share a special responsibility for maintaining global security as the world's two largest nuclear powers.
China said on Saturday it had launched a coast guard patrol east of Taiwan, prompting a strong protest from Taipei, which accused Beijing of illegally expanding its authority and undermining regional stability.
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