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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A tanker reported being hit by unknown projectiles in the Strait of Hormuz, a maritime security organisation said on Monday, shortly after President Donald Trump said the U.S. would start helping free ships stranded in the Gulf by the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio is expected to travel to the Vatican and Italy this week for a series of meetings, according to Italian media reports, in a visit that comes amid strained relations between Washington and parts of Europe and heightened tensions involving Pope Leo XIV.
Ukraine is monitoring “unusual activity” along its border with Belarus, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in a video statement released on Saturday (2 May). He warned that Kyiv is ready to respond if necessary amid continued regional tensions linked to Russia’s war.
Hundreds of young people in South Korea have gathered in Seoul to take part in a city-backed “power nap contest”, aimed at drawing attention to the country’s chronic sleep deprivation.
China has moved to block U.S. sanctions on five of its oil refineries, in a fresh escalation of tensions over trade and energy policy.
Türkiye’s Vice President Cevdet Yılmaz is set to visit Armenia in early May to take part in the 8th European Political Community Summit, in what will be the highest-level Turkish visit to the country to date. Meanwhile, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz is reportedly expected to miss the forum.
U.S. President Donald Trump has said he will “soon be reviewing” a new 14-point proposal sent by Iran, casting doubt on the chances of a deal after Tehran called for security guarantees, an end to naval blockades and a halt to the war across the region, including in Lebanon.
Start your day informed with the AnewZ Morning Brief. Here are the top stories for the 4th of May, covering the latest developments you need to know.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio is expected to travel to the Vatican and Italy this week for a series of meetings, according to Italian media reports, in a visit that comes amid strained relations between Washington and parts of Europe and heightened tensions involving Pope Leo XIV.
Ukraine has launched a new wave of drone strikes on Sunday (3 May) across Russia, hitting key infrastructure and causing casualties in several regions, officials on both sides said.
China has moved to block U.S. sanctions on five of its oil refineries, in a fresh escalation of tensions over trade and energy policy.
Germany has said a planned reduction of U.S. troops should push Europe to take greater responsibility for its own defence, as concerns grow in Washington over the impact of the move on regional security.
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