Russian President Vladimir Putin has ordered Russian forces to suspend strikes on Kiev for three days as US negotiators Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner visit Moscow for talks aimed at finding a path towards ending the Ukraine conflict.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov announced the decision on Saturday, saying Putin, in his capacity as commander-in-chief, had instructed Russian forces not to target the Ukrainian capital for three days beginning at midnight.
Peskov said the temporary pause was intended to facilitate Witkoff and Kushner’s planned visit to Kiev, where the pair are expected to meet Ukrainian officials after completing discussions in Moscow, including talks with Putin.
Ukrainian media had earlier reported that Kiev’s forces had also received instructions to cease fire from midnight Saturday until Tuesday. However, Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelensky’s chief of staff, Kirill Budanov, told broadcaster Suspilne that Kiev had separately proposed a broader temporary truce covering the front line and aerial attacks, which he said had received no response from Moscow.
US President Donald Trump said on Friday that Witkoff and Kushner were travelling with a “proposal to end the war,” but provided no details about its terms.
The two envoys have made repeated trips to Moscow since Trump returned to the White House in 2025 as part of his administration’s efforts to negotiate a settlement between Russia and Ukraine. Despite renewed optimism following Trump’s meeting with Putin in Alaska last year, negotiations subsequently stalled amid continuing disagreements over key conditions for ending the conflict.
Putin nevertheless praised the American negotiators ahead of their latest visit, describing Witkoff and Kushner as welcome guests and saying Moscow worked constructively with them.
