US President Donald Trump is likely to send his special envoy Steve Witkoff to Russia midweek.

Witkoff will travel there "maybe Wednesday or Thursday," Trump told reporters before a return flight to Washington.

This would be immediately before the expiration of a 10-day deadline Trump had set for Russian President Vladimir Putin. During this time, a ceasefire is to be achieved between Russia and Ukraine, which has been attacked by Moscow. The shortened deadline began Tuesday – after which Trump intends to impose sanctions on Russia's trading partners.

With his tariff threat, the US President wants to further weaken the Kremlin's economic base by putting greater pressure on major energy buyers such as China and India.

Russia has been waging a war of aggression against its neighbor for more than three years.