Are we near a pivot point for the Ukraine war?

THIS month marks the grim milestone of three and a half years of war since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. However, the date is more than a calendar event, and the conflict which has helped reset global politics and economics in the 2020s may now be at a pivot point.

Friday (Aug 8) sees a deadline given by US President Donald Trump for Russia to respond to a deal to end the war. In late July, he threatened Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin with further sanctions, including secondary sanctions, if no agreement is reached beforehand.

Ahead of US special envoy Steve Witkoff’s visit to Moscow on Wednesday, Trump spoke by phone with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to discuss potential sanctions on Moscow. While it remains unclear, as ever with Trump, whether he will follow through with his threat, optimism is growing in the West that this could be a key moment.