Putin Orders 72-Hour Pause in Strikes on Kyiv as US Envoys Visit Russia and Ukraine

Russia says it will not strike Kyiv for 72 hours as US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner travel between Russia and Ukraine in an attempt to revive a stalled push to end the war.

Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered the pause from midnight, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told Russia’s Tass news agency. He said the decision was linked to preparations for the envoys’ planned visit to the Ukrainian capital, which Kyiv says will take place on Sunday.

The diplomatic mission comes as both sides intensify their aerial attacks. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Friday that Ukraine would suspend airstrikes during the envoys’ visit and called on Moscow to match the move.

The US effort to end the fighting has lost momentum. The invasion has entered its fifth year, while Washington’s attention has focused on the conflict for the past six months. The pause announced by Moscow is therefore tied directly to the envoys’ visits, rather than presented as a broader end to the attacks.

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Putin has ordered that no strikes be carried out against Kyiv for three days, starting at midnight today.