Zelenskyy Orders Suspension of Attacks on Moscow

Ukraine is ready to stop air attacks on Moscow through Monday, Volodymyr Zelenskyy said, after Vladimir Putin announced a similar suspension of Russian attacks on Kyiv. The moves came as U.S. President Donald Trump’s envoys, Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, began a weekend mission to the Russian and Ukrainian capitals.

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I have just spoken with the president of the United States’ envoys. They have begun working with the Russian side today. From this moment, we are ready to respect a ceasefire in air attacks against the cities involved in the negotiation process.

“I have just spoken with the president of the United States’ envoys. They have begun working with the Russian side today. From this moment, we are ready to respect a ceasefire in air attacks against the cities involved in the negotiation process,” Zelenskyy wrote on social media.

He said Ukraine would abstain from attacks on Moscow from the end of Saturday through Sunday and Monday, and expected Russia to do the same regarding Kyiv. Witkoff and Kushner were due to arrive in Kyiv the next day. Zelenskyy had already said on Friday that he would guarantee “the normal functioning of Russian airspace so that the negotiators can arrive safely,” while hoping Russia would provide the same conditions for as long as needed to hold the talks and resolve logistical issues linked to the visit.

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The normal functioning of Russian airspace so that the negotiators can arrive safely.

Before Putin announced the three-day halt, Zelenskyy accused Russia of deliberately bombing airports in Kyiv and Boryspil ahead of the envoys’ arrival. “It is clear that these Russian attacks on the airports are a reaction to the talks and preparations for the possibility that the American side will use an aircraft to travel to Ukraine and land at Kyiv airport or Boryspil airport,” he said. Boryspil lies about 30 kilometers east of Kyiv.

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It is clear that these Russian attacks on the airports are a reaction to the talks and preparations for the possibility that the American side will use an aircraft to travel to Ukraine and land at Kyiv airport or Boryspil airport.

Ukraine has kept its airspace closed to civilian aviation since Feb. 24, 2022, meaning Ukrainians, foreign visitors and official delegations generally travel through the country by train or road, often via neighboring European countries. The envoys’ aircraft could land at one of the two airports under the announced pause. Zelenskyy said he and his team were ready for a “substantive conversation” and promised to negotiate with “one hundred percent” firmness and effectiveness after receiving briefings on the front, airspace threats and Ukrainian countermeasures.

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Substantive conversation