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.

The Kremlin says Russian President Vladimir Putin is holding talks with U.S. President Donald Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff.