Putin orders three-day pause in strikes on Kyiv as US envoys Witkoff, Kushner arrive in Moscow

Russian President Vladimir Putin initiated a three-day ceasefire on strikes targeting Kyiv, effective from Saturday, ahead of a US delegation's arrival, according to Interfax's report of Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov's statement. US special representatives Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner touched down in Moscow on Saturday to engage in discussions regarding the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, sources with knowledge of the visit told Reuters, who also mentioned that they were greeted by Russian presidential envoy Kirill Dmitriev.

Dmitriev, who had maintained communication with US negotiators throughout previous pauses in visits to Russia, participated in all prior meetings with Putin. He was also involved in negotiating US sanction waivers for Russian oil exports during the present year. US President Donald Trump had hinted on Friday of a fresh, concrete proposal intended to bring an end to the five-year war, although he did not provide specifics on its contents.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced the same day that Witkoff and Kushner would journey to Ukraine on Sunday, following their visit to Moscow. In a tweet on Saturday, Zelensky claimed that Russia had launched attacks on two Ukrainian airports prior to the US envoys' visit to Kyiv.

The gap between Russia and Ukraine's perspectives on achieving peace remains significant, The Moscow-based Kremlin emphasized on Friday that Putin's stance, as outlined in a speech from two years ago, was "unshakable." This stance asserted that Ukraine should surrender the entire territory of four regions under Russian control and renounce its ambition to join NATO.

Since the latest peace talks in February, both sides have escalated their long-range air assaults into each other's territory, and maritime warfare has also intensified. On the ground, the front lines remain largely unchanged, with Russia registering only slow advancements in its quest to acquire the entirety of Ukraine's Donbas region.

Ukrainian drone strikes on Russian oil refineries have resulted in fuel shortages and soaring fuel prices for Russian motorists throughout the summer. Additionally, around 30 assaults on significant warehouses, primarily belonging to Wildberries, the nation's largest online retailer, have impacted Ukraine's consumer economy. A Russian drone attack targeted the headquarters of Ukraine's SBU security service in Kyiv on Friday—the tenth consecutive day of intense attacks on the capital—and Zelensky vowed a retaliatory response.