Russia, Ukraine agree to three-day pause in airstrikes

MOSCOW: (News Desk) – Russia and Ukraine have agreed to temporarily halt strikes on each other’s capitals as US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner work to revive peace negotiations, according to reports cited by 24NewsHD and AFP.

Witkoff and Kushner held a three-hour meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow on Saturday, discussing possible steps toward ending the war in Ukraine. The White House described the discussions as involving “substantive plans” for the next phase of negotiations.

Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov said the talks were candid and that the US delegation presented several ideas for a possible settlement. He did not provide details of the proposals.

The Russian side also reiterated its confidence in achieving its military objectives in eastern Ukraine. Moscow has continued to demand territorial concessions, while Kyiv has rejected conditions it considers unacceptable.

Following the Moscow meeting, Witkoff and Kushner were expected to travel to Kyiv on Sunday. Russian state media reported that the two US envoys had reached Rzeszow in Poland before continuing their journey toward the Ukrainian capital.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said he expected to meet the American delegation. The visit would mark Witkoff and Kushner’s first trip to Kyiv during the war.

Putin said Russia would take steps to ensure the safety of the US representatives during their visit. He also praised US President Donald Trump for continuing efforts to seek an end to the conflict.

As part of the temporary arrangement, Moscow said it would suspend strikes against Kyiv for three days beginning at midnight. Zelensky separately said Ukraine was prepared to refrain from attacks on Moscow through Sunday and Monday.

Despite the limited truce, Russian attacks reportedly killed 10 people in Ukraine on Saturday, including a child and family members in the Kharkiv region. Zelensky accused Moscow of carrying out overnight strikes against Kyiv and civilian targets in an attempt to disrupt the US delegation’s visit.

The latest diplomatic efforts come as Washington seeks to restart negotiations after previous attempts failed to produce a lasting breakthrough.