Putin meets US envoys in Moscow as ceasefire talks pause strikes

Russian President Vladimir Putin received U.S. envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner at the Kremlin on Saturday to explore ways to restart stalled negotiations aimed at ending the war in Ukraine. The meeting coincided with a mutual pause in aerial strikes on Moscow and Kyiv, which both leaders said would last through Monday.

"From now through the end of Saturday, as well as on Sunday and Monday, Ukraine is ready to refrain from strikes on Moscow, and we expect the Russians to do the same regarding Kyiv," President Volodymyr Zelenskyy told reporters after speaking with the U.S. delegation.

"(Russian President Vladimir) Putin has ordered that no strikes be carried out against Kyiv for three days, starting at midnight today," Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said.

The envoys, who last visited Moscow in January, are scheduled to travel to Kyiv on Sunday, marking their first trip to the Ukrainian capital as part of the peace effort. Upon arrival in Moscow, they were welcomed by Russian envoy Kirill Dmitriev, who posted photos captioned “Welcome to Moscow Peacemakers.”

Despite the diplomatic overtures, fighting intensified elsewhere. Russian forces conducted drone and missile attacks on several Ukrainian locations, including an industrial site in the Dnipropetrovsk region that killed five workers, and a residential building in the Boryspil district. Ukraine’s air force reported shooting down or suppressing 128 of 167 Russian drones deployed overnight.

Zelenskyy linked recent Russian strikes on Kyiv’s airports to the timing of the U.S. visit, saying the attacks appeared to be a reaction to the diplomatic talks. He affirmed that Ukraine would adjust its operations but would not let the violence threaten the peace process.