Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered on Saturday a three-day suspension of attacks on Kyiv, on the occasion of the visit to Moscow and the Ukrainian capital of White House envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner. The order came into effect at midnight and is directly related to the preparations for the contacts of the American representatives in Kyiv, as announced by presidential spokesman Dmitri Peskov.
Kyiv also informed Moscow of President Volodymyr Zelensky's decision to suspend attacks against Russia during the two envoys' stay in both countries. Zelensky had stated on Friday, in a speech to the nation, that Russia should do the same, adding that the goal was to make the negotiations with the American side as constructive and substantive as possible.
Washington had asked for security guarantees from both parties, something the Kremlin initially rejected on Friday. American President Donald Trump said his envoys are carrying a proposal to end the war. Putin expressed willingness to receive Witkoff and Kushner but rejected, for now, a possible three-way summit with the US and Ukraine.
Negotiations between Russia and Ukraine have been at an impasse since February, when the military operation by the United States and Israel against Iran began. Witkoff and Kushner had not traveled to Moscow since January.
