U.S. President Donald Trump said Sunday that his special envoy, real-estate executive Steve Witkoff, will travel to Russia on Wednesday or Thursday, just ahead of a self-imposed Aug. 8 deadline for the Kremlin to agree to a truce in Ukraine. Speaking to reporters in New Jersey, Trump stated that Witkoff will deliver a message to "stop the killing" and seek progress toward ending the conflict. The president also noted that U.S. nuclear submarines are operating in the region and remarked that Moscow has grown adept at evading sanctions, suggesting further economic measures could follow if the deadline passes without a deal. Trump added that the administration expects to announce a new chief statistician for the Bureau of Labor Statistics within four days. The White House has not released Witkoff’s full itinerary or specified with whom he will meet while in Russia.