Russia Orders Three-Day Halt to Strikes on Kyiv as US Envoys Hold Talks
The Kremlin has announced that Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered a three-day halt to strikes on Kyiv, beginning at midnight, according to Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov, who spoke to state media including TASS. The decision was tied to preparations for the visit of US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, who arrived in Moscow on Saturday for talks on the conflict. The envoys were met at the airport by Russian presidential envoy Kirill Dmitriev, as reported by TASS.
The pause followed a US proposal for ceasefire, with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy saying he had proposed a temporary suspension of air attacks during the visit, urging Russia to reciprocate so talks could take place safely. Zelenskyy said the US envoys were expected to travel to Ukraine after their Moscow meetings. He wrote on X: "We will ensure the normal functioning of Russian airspace so that the negotiators can arrive safely. We are looking out for them, not for Russia. There will be no air strikes from our side, and Russia must do the same."
The Kremlin ordered the pause to avoid military action in the Ukrainian capital while talks are under way, Peskov said, noting the measure appears limited to attacks on Kyiv, as the Kremlin did not indicate whether the order covered Russian strikes elsewhere in Ukraine, according to The Tribune.
Trump told reporters that Witkoff and Kushner had been sent to determine whether progress could be made. "They're bringing with them a proposal to end the war," Trump said. Putin met the US envoys at the Kremlin on Saturday. Following Moscow, Witkoff and Kushner are expected in Kyiv on Sunday.
Russian drone attacks on Ukrainian cities have intensified in recent weeks, while Ukraine has stepped up its hits on Russia's oil infrastructure, in August reaching a monthly record for strikes since the start of the war in 2022, as reported by Politico Europe. Saturday's pause order followed a broad Russian overnight attack across Ukraine that killed at least five people and injured six others, according to the Kyiv Independent. "Clearly, Russia's strikes on the airports are a reaction to discussions and preparations concerning the possibility of the American side using an aircraft to arrive in Ukraine," Zelenskyy wrote on Telegram. The US emissaries are scheduled to meet with Putin later on Saturday.