Putin ordered a three-day halt to attacks on Kiev, while Zelensky also announced a temporary ceasefire of Ukrainian bombings on Moscow. Washington seeks to take advantage of the truce to reactivate negotiations
Russia and Ukraine agreed to a temporary pause in their airstrikes coinciding with the arrival in the region of special envoys from U.S. President Donald Trump, Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner. The aim of the measure is to facilitate Washington's diplomatic mission, which seeks to reactivate talks aimed at ending the war.
Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered a 72-hour suspension of attacks against Kiev starting at midnight on Saturday. The decision was communicated by the Kremlin and coincides with the arrival of Witkoff and Kushner in Moscow, where they are scheduled to meet with Putin before later moving on to Ukraine.
Vladimir Putin with Donald Trump
However, the Russian decision did not occur in isolation. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky had previously announced that Ukraine would also refrain from airstrikes during the visit of the U.S. representatives. Kiev urged Moscow to adopt the same stance to ensure the necessary conditions for talks and facilitate the movement of the U.S. delegation.
The coincidence marks one of the few recent moments in which both governments agree to simultaneously limit their air operations, although it is a strictly temporary measure and not a peace agreement. The pause is set to last until the beginning of next week and aims to create a window for U.S. diplomacy.
The truce comes after a new escalation. Russia had intensified its attacks against Ukrainian territory and hit targets in Kiev, including the headquarters of the Security Service of Ukraine. Ukraine, for its part, continues to use drones against targets within Russian territory, including facilities related to the energy sector.
Volodymyr Zelensky alongside President Donald Trump
In this context, Trump sent Witkoff and Kushner with a proposal aimed at trying to unlock negotiations. The two envoys began their mission in Moscow and are expected to continue on to Kiev to meet with Zelensky. The U.S. president presented the initiative as a new opportunity to reach an agreement that would allow an end to more than four years of war.
The suspension of attacks, therefore, does not mean that the war has ended, but it does open a small diplomatic window. For the first time in weeks, Russia and Ukraine simultaneously agree to reduce their air operations while Washington attempts to find a path toward broader negotiations.
