MOSCOW — Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered a three-day halt to airstrikes against the Ukrainian capital on Saturday, coinciding with the arrival of U.S. envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner in Moscow. The diplomatic mission aims to revive stalled negotiations to end the four-and-a-half-year war, testing the Trump administration’s push for a peace settlement.
The 72-hour suspension began at midnight Saturday to ensure safe conditions for the American delegation’s scheduled Sunday visit to Kyiv. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov confirmed the temporary ceasefire was directly tied to preparations for the envoys’ travel.
Witkoff and Kushner landed at Moscow’s Vnukovo International Airport on Saturday and were greeted by Russian presidential envoy Kirill Dmitriev, who shared photos of the arrival captioned, “Welcome to Moscow Peacemakers”. Following meetings at the Kremlin, the envoys are expected to cross into Ukraine.
Tensions Ahead of the Trip
This weekend marks the first time Witkoff and Kushner are scheduled to travel to Kyiv since taking on their mediation roles, though they previously visited Moscow in January. The lead-up to their arrival has been fraught with aerial escalations. Overnight strikes carried out by Russian forces targeted infrastructure near Kyiv’s airports, including Boryspil.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy characterized the barrages as a deliberate effort to make the airspace dangerous and disrupt the possibility of the U.S. delegation flying directly into Ukraine. Despite the recent strikes, Zelenskyy announced that Ukrainian forces would honor a reciprocal pause, halting strikes against Moscow through Monday to accommodate the negotiations.
Washington’s Shifting Focus
In Washington, President Donald Trump signaled confidence in his representatives, stating he dispatched the duo to see “whether or not we can get something done”.
The diplomatic push follows a period where U.S. efforts to broker a peace deal had lost momentum, as Washington’s focus shifted toward its six-month conflict with Iran. Despite the temporary pause over Kyiv, both sides have maintained heavy fighting along the front lines. The Kremlin continues to demand that Ukraine cede four regions claimed by Moscow and abandon NATO aspirations—fundamental sticking points on which neither side has shown a willingness to compromise.
