Putin and Zelenskyy Order a Halt to Attacks Until Monday During Trump Envoys’ Visit

For three days, Moscow and Kyiv have agreed to hold back attacks on each other’s capitals, timed to the arrival of Donald Trump’s envoys. Steve Witkoff, Trump’s special envoy, and his son-in-law Jared Kushner met Vladimir Putin in Moscow on Saturday before their planned trip to Kyiv.

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I have spoken with the envoys of the U.S. president. We are ready to respect a ceasefire in attacks against the cities involved in this negotiation process.

Putin ordered a suspension of attacks on the Ukrainian capital from midnight because of the American delegation’s presence. Yuri Ushakov, Putin’s foreign policy adviser, said Moscow received the request through “official channels,” although he did not confirm whether it came from Washington. The pause does not cover the rest of Ukraine, which remains exposed to possible bombardment.

In Kyiv, Volodymyr Zelenskyy also announced a halt to attacks on Moscow until Monday. “I have spoken with the envoys of the U.S. president. We are ready to respect a ceasefire in attacks against the cities involved in this negotiation process,” he wrote on Telegram. Witkoff and Kushner are expected in the Ukrainian capital on Sunday, in their first visit there in almost five years of conflict.

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a proposal to end the war

Trump said the envoys would bring “a proposal to end the war.” The Kremlin, which insists it will not give up its objectives, has taken a more cautious position after a year and a half of negotiations produced no progress. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Friday, “More will be known when the talks take place.”

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More will be known when the talks take place.

Witkoff offered unusually warm praise for Putin during the Moscow reception, saying the president’s meeting would be among the delegation’s best memories after retirement. Putin, in turn, praised Trump’s efforts to resolve the conflict. The American envoys also thanked him for Russia’s August 11 handover of U.S. citizen Robert Gilman, who had been jailed for confronting authorities, without requesting a Russian detainee in return. The Kyiv trip had remained uncertain after Witkoff reportedly became concerned about the reaction to his meeting with Putin.

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I understand that President Trump is generally facing a difficult situation, but he continues striving to resolve and contribute to resolving the conflict between Russia and Ukraine.