Updated by Faith Barbara N Ruhinda at 1250 EAT on Wednesday 6 August 2025

A meeting between U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff and Russian President Vladimir Putin is under way at the Kremlin, according to Russian media.

Witkoff arrived in Moscow on Wednesday, just days before President Donald Trump’s deadline for Russia to agree to a ceasefire in Ukraine.

Trump has warned that failure to act could result in severe sanctions on Russia, including secondary sanctions targeting countries that continue to trade with it. He has called for an end to what he described as the “horrible war” in Ukraine.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Russia is unlikely to pursue peace unless it begins to feel serious financial pressure. He welcomed the U.S. threat of tougher sanctions and tariffs on nations purchasing Russian oil.

Expectations remain low for a ceasefire agreement by Friday, even as U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff holds talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow. Despite President Donald Trump’s threats of sweeping sanctions, Russia has continued its large-scale air assaults on Ukraine.

Three rounds of talks between Ukrainian and Russian negotiators in Istanbul have failed to produce a breakthrough, more than three and a half years since Moscow launched its full-scale invasion.

Russia’s political and military demands remain unacceptable to Kyiv and its Western allies. The Kremlin has also repeatedly rejected President Volodymyr Zelensky’s calls for a direct meeting with Putin.

Meanwhile, Washington has approved an additional $200 million in military sales to Ukraine. The announcement followed a call between Zelensky and Trump on Tuesday, during which the two leaders discussed defense cooperation and expanded drone production.

Ukraine has increasingly relied on drones to strike Russian refineries and energy infrastructure. In response, Moscow has intensified its aerial attacks on Ukrainian cities.

In Kyiv, the death toll from last week’s missile strike rose to 32 after one man succumbed to his injuries, marking the deadliest attack on the capital since the war began. On Wednesday, Ukrainian officials reported a Russian strike on a holiday camp in the central Zaporizhzhia region that killed two people and wounded 12.

“There’s no military sense in this attack. It’s just cruelty to scare people,” Zelensky said.

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