President Donald Trump’s trusted foreign envoy Steve Witkoff is due in Moscow on Wednesday after the Kremlin requested a meeting with him in a last-ditch effort to avoid the punishing new sanctions Trump has threatened to impose this week,

The envoy, Steve Witkoff, is making his fifth visit this year. He has managed to secure some prisoner exchanges but made no clear progress so far on ending the Ukraine war.

US envoy Steve Witkoff arrived in Moscow on Wednesday, state media reported, where he will meet with Russian leadership as President Donald Trump's deadline to impose fresh sanctions over Russia's offensive on Ukraine looms.