U.S. President Donald Trump said his special envoy, Steve Witkoff, will travel to Moscow on Wednesday or Thursday in an effort to broker a cease-fire in Ukraine before Washington’s Aug. 8 deadline for Russia to halt its offensive. Trump issued the 10-day ultimatum last week and warned of further sanctions, including possible secondary tariffs on nations that continue commerce with Russia. He also confirmed that two U.S. nuclear-powered submarines have been deployed to the region, a move that highlights the mounting strain between Washington and Moscow. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov welcomed the planned visit, calling U.S. mediation efforts “important, constructive and useful,” and said a meeting with President Vladimir Putin was not excluded. Moscow emphasized that it does not anticipate any nuclear escalation. Witkoff, appointed in May and already acquainted with Putin, is expected to explore terms for a truce that could avert new U.S. penalties. His trip would represent the highest-level direct engagement between the two governments since relations deteriorated over the war in Ukraine.