Donald Trump's frustration was mounting. In early August, Russian missiles rained down on Ukrainian cities. For months, the American president, obsessed with a Nobel Peace Prize he believes he deserves, had been claming he would put an end to the "bloodbath" raging since 2022. He set an ultimatum for the Kremlin: Reach a ceasefire before August 8, or harsh sanctions would hit any country buying Russian gas and oil. The stage was set for a diplomatic frenzy that went on for several weeks and mobilized diplomats and leaders on both sides of the Atlantic. For Europeans and Ukrainians, the stakes were critical: cement their unity and prevent Trump from playing into the hands of the Russian aggressor.

As he set out on his fifth trip to Russia since January on August 6, Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff wondered if he was about to waste his time. The president's friend and golf partner fluttered from issue to issue between flights, dealing with Iran's nuclear program, Gaza and Ukraine, an expert in none with a hand in them all. So far, every US approach toward Moscow had failed.

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