Russia Announces 72-Hour Pause in Strikes Amid Ukraine Talks

Russian President Vladimir Putin announced on Saturday a 72-hour ceasefire in strikes against Kyiv, as peace negotiations led by U.S. envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner unfolded. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov confirmed the order, stating that no strikes would be carried out against Kyiv for three days, starting at midnight on the same day.

This development comes after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy committed to pausing airstrikes for the talks. The U.S. envoys, en route to Moscow and Kyiv with a proposal to end the conflict, were welcomed by Russian envoy Kirill Dmitriev upon their arrival in Moscow. U.S. President Donald Trump, who had previously promised to end the war on his first day in office, revealed the plan during a press conference on Friday.

While no details were provided, Trump emphasized the existence of a peace proposal, hinting at potential territorial concessions by Ukraine. Meanwhile, a Russian drone strike on Kyiv's security service headquarters was reported on Friday, escalating tensions amidst the ongoing diplomatic efforts.