Russian President Vladimir Putin Putin orders pause Kyiv strikes for three days, according to Kremlin officials, as American envoys pursue their latest attempt to revive stalled peace negotiations between Russia and Ukraine after more than four years of war.
The Kremlin confirmed that Putin ordered Russian forces to halt strikes against Kyiv beginning at midnight Saturday, with the pause intended to last through three consecutive days while American negotiators Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner conduct their diplomatic visit to both capitals.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy responded by offering a reciprocal commitment, stating that Ukraine would refrain from striking Moscow throughout the same period, expressing hope that Russian forces would honor their own pledge regarding attacks on the Ukrainian capital.
This temporary halt in capital strikes comes as Witkoff and Kushner held marathon talks lasting more than three hours with Putin at the Kremlin, discussions that Russian officials described as constructive and useful without announcing any specific breakthrough toward ending the broader conflict.
The American envoys arrived in Moscow with what President Trump described as a fresh concrete proposal aimed at ending the war, though the administration has not publicly detailed the specific terms of this latest diplomatic initiative ahead of the delegation’s planned visit to Kyiv.
Following their Moscow meetings, Witkoff and Kushner are scheduled to travel to Kyiv to meet directly with Zelenskyy, marking their first visit to the Ukrainian capital despite having previously traveled to Moscow multiple times since Trump returned to office pursuing an end to the conflict.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov indicated that discussions with the American envoys covered potential paths toward a settlement alongside economic issues and possible future cooperation projects between Russia and the United States, suggesting a broader scope beyond purely military and territorial questions.
A senior Kremlin adviser noted that Moscow continues insisting its territorial demands must be addressed as part of any lasting peace agreement, maintaining that Russian forces would continue pursuing objectives on the battlefield until those demands are satisfactorily resolved through negotiation.
This latest diplomatic push follows a pattern of previous attempts at brokering peace throughout the conflict, with earlier rounds of talks between American envoys and Russian officials failing to produce lasting breakthroughs despite periodic characterizations of individual meetings as constructive or productive.
Ukrainian officials have expressed cautious optimism about this renewed diplomatic effort while maintaining skepticism about Russia’s ultimate willingness to make the concessions necessary for a genuine and lasting resolution to the war that has caused enormous destruction across Ukraine.
As the temporary pause in capital strikes takes effect, attention now shifts toward the American delegation’s upcoming meeting with Zelenskyy in Kyiv. Whether this latest diplomatic initiative produces meaningful progress toward ending the conflict, or simply represents another temporary lull before renewed fighting resumes, remains to be seen in the days ahead.
