WASHINGTON DC – US President Donald Trump on Sunday reiterated his administration’s demands for a ceasefire in Ukraine, telling reporters upon departing for the White House that his special envoy, Steve Witkoff, would be delivering the message to Russia this week.
Multiple administration officials over the weekend shared details of Witkoff’s forthcoming critical trip with US media, as the clock ticks toward the administration’s self-imposed deadline for Moscow to reach a peace deal with Ukraine.
Six months into office, sources say Trump’s patience with Russian President Vladimir Putin has waned. The core of his message to the Kremlin, to be delivered through Witkoff, is a call to end the violence.
Diplomatic push and military posturing
Trump told reporters on Sunday that Witkoff, “I think next week, Wednesday or Thursday may be going to Russia.”
When asked what Russia could do to avoid sanctions, he said, “We’ve got to get to a deal where people stop getting killed.”
Despite the threat of new sanctions, Trump acknowledged they may not be a perfect solution. “Well there will be sanctions but they seem to be pretty good at avoiding sanctions,” he said.
“You know, they’re wily characters and they’re pretty good at avoiding sanctions. So we’ll see what happens,” Trump added.
Trump also confirmed that US nuclear submarines were “in the region,” a move that follows what the president has called “highly provocative” comments from former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev.
Sanctions threat and past deadlines
Speaking to US media over the weekend, senior administration officials highlighted that Trump was “serious” in his warning to the Kremlin, saying the US will add new sanctions and tariffs if a deadline is not met by Friday.
The threat carries an echo of a previous deadline the president gave Russia, which passed without clear consequence.
The US Ambassador to NATO, Matthew Whitaker, also made the case this weekend for the White House’s negotiating efforts.
“You know, I think President Trump has been pretty clear that this war in Ukraine is not going to be settled on the battlefield. Ultimately, it’s got to be negotiated and there needs to be peace,” he said.
As Kyiv Post reported Saturday, the White House’s special envoy to Ukraine, Keith Kellogg, will also head to Kyiv in the coming days. The visit comes as animosity between the Trump White House and the Kremlin has reached its most perilous high.
Congressional effort to seize Russian assets
Amid these diplomatic maneuvers, a legislative push is underway in the US Congress to boost sanctions against the Kremlin while also seizing Russian assets.
Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) on Saturday submitted an amendment, known as the “REPO for Ukrainians Implementation Act of 2025,” to the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2026.
The amendment aims to accelerate the use of an estimated $300 billion in frozen Russian sovereign assets to aid Ukraine.
The legislative initiative follows a unanimous declaration by the Parliamentary Assembly of the OSCE on July 3, 2025, calling for the repurposing of these funds.