Donald Trump is putting his political capital on the line in an attempt to broker a resolution to the war in Ukraine, after six months of unsuccessful efforts. On Wednesday, August 6, Steve Witkoff, the US president's special envoy, made a round trip to Moscow to persuade Vladimir Putin to implement a ceasefire with Ukraine before the deadline set by the White House on August 8.

Severe economic sanctions are scheduled to take effect on that date for countries purchasing oil from Russia. By targeting the trade that largely funds Moscow's war efforts in Ukraine, Trump would be taking tough action for the first time since his return to the White House, having previously preferred to put pressure on Kyiv.

On Wednesday, after the fifth meeting since January 20 between Witkoff, a real estate mogul with no diplomatic experience, and the Russian president, neither party made any public statements. The Russian news agency TASS reported that the discussion lasted about three hours. Speaking to Russian media, Putin's diplomatic adviser, Yury Ushakov, remained as vague as possible, stating that the conversation, which focused on Ukraine and "prospects for developing strategic cooperation between the US and Russia," had been "useful and constructive."

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