Putin meets Trump envoys as fresh Ukraine peace effort begins

Russian President Vladimir Putin held talks with United States President Donald Trump’s envoys, Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, in Moscow as Washington embarked on a new diplomatic effort to end the war in Ukraine. The delegation arrived in Moscow on Saturday to discuss a potential peace proposal before their scheduled trip to Ukraine. This marks the first direct meeting between Putin and the US delegation in several months as the United States endeavors to find a pathway towards resolving the conflict.

Earlier, Putin directed Russian forces to cease attacks on Kyiv for a three-day period starting midnight, according to Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov. However, reports suggested that Russian forces continued strikes in other regions of Ukraine, including two metal plants in Dnipropetrovsk and a residential building in Boryspil, resulting in casualties and injuries.

These attacks raised doubts about Russia's commitment to the diplomatic initiative, with Ukrainian officials alleging that Moscow was undermining peace efforts.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky expressed concern over the safety of the American delegation, stating that Russian attacks on two airports in the Kyiv region seemed aimed at preventing their arrival. Zelensky assured that Ukraine would implement measures to ensure their secure passage, but Putin reiterated his stance on territorial issues, a key sticking point in past negotiations.

While Trump had previously announced that Witkoff and Kushner were carrying a peace proposal, the situation remains unclear as the conflict persists.