MOSCOW - U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff arrived in Moscow on Wednesday on a last-minute mission to seek a breakthrough in the Ukraine war, two days before the expiry of a deadline set by President Donald Trump for Russia to agree to peace or face new sanctions.

MOSCOW - U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff has arrived in Moscow and was greeted by Russia's investment envoy Kirill Dmitriev, a source told Reuters on Wednesday, after the Kremlin said it did not rule out Witkoff meeting President Vladimir Putin.

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 comments come as Trump's deadline for Russia to agree a ceasefire with Ukraine or face sanctions edges closer.

Russia said on Monday that everyone should be "very, very careful" about nuclear rhetoric, responding to a statement by U.S. President Donald Trump that he had ordered a repositioning of U.S. nuclear submarines.