Putin Halts Attacks on Kyiv for 72 Hours as Trump Envoys Land in Moscow for Ceasefire Push

Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered a 72-hour halt to attacks on Kyiv on Saturday, just as US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner arrived in Moscow for high-level talks aimed at reviving stalled peace negotiations [236032][235913]. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy confirmed he had also ordered a reciprocal pause in aerial strikes, saying, "From this moment, we are ready to respect a ceasefire on aerial attacks against the cities involved in the negotiation process" [236032].

The meeting at the Grand Kremlin Palace marked the first high-level face-to-face contact between US officials and the Kremlin in months [235960][236005]. Putin opened the talks shortly after 8 p.m. local time, greeting the envoys in English and describing the negotiating situation as "difficult" [236189][236032]. He was joined by Kremlin foreign policy aide Yuri Ushakov and presidential envoy Kirill Dmitriev [236032].

The envoys, both senior representatives of US President Donald Trump, are expected to travel to Kyiv on Sunday for discussions with Ukrainian officials [236114][236221]. Witkoff and Kushner did not disclose details of their talks with Putin but expressed hope for "equally productive meetings" in Ukraine [236221].

Trump confirmed on Friday that he was dispatching the two negotiators with a plan to end the war, calling them "two great negotiators" [235379]. He said, "We have an idea for peace," without providing details of the proposal [235379].

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov confirmed the strike pause was linked to the envoys' upcoming visit to Kyiv, saying Putin ordered that "no attacks be launched against Kiev" from midnight for three days [236032]. The truce represents a rare, concrete de-escalation in the conflict, now in its fourth year [235913][236005].

Zelenskyy, in his nightly address, said he had spoken with the US envoys and that the goal was to make the visit "as constructive and substantial as possible" [236032]. The talks come after months of diplomatic deadlock, with previous ceasefire proposals failing to produce lasting results [236005][236323].

The war has caused tens of thousands of casualties and displaced millions [236005]. Both sides have continued exchanging drone and missile strikes along front lines, with Ukraine damaging refineries deep inside Russian territory and Moscow intensifying attacks on Kyiv and Black Sea ports [236032].

Peskov cautioned against expecting quick results, noting that Trump himself had said the envoys were not bringing "new ideas" for resolving the conflict [236032]. Putin has so far rejected both a prolonged ceasefire and a trilateral summit unless it is to sign a final peace deal [236032].

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