The Russian president and Trump emissary held talks in Moscow days before the White House deadline for Russia to reach a peace deal with Ukraine.

White House envoy Steve Witkoff met Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow in a last-ditch effort to convince him to make peace in Ukraine or face punishing new economic penalties by Friday.

Russian President Vladimir Putin and White House envoy Steve Witkoff held “ useful and constructive ” talks in Moscow on Wednesday, according to Kremlin foreign-policy aide Yuri Ushakov. The roughly three-hour session aimed to secure a last-minute breakthrough to end the Russia-Ukraine war before threatened U.S. sanctions go into effect on Friday.