US Envoys Witkoff and Kushner Land in Moscow as Putin Orders Three-Day Strike Pause on Kyiv

Envoys land in Moscow for Kremlin talks

US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, the son-in-law of US President Donald Trump, arrived in Moscow on Saturday afternoon at Vnukovo Airport for talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Russian state news agencies Tass and RIA Novosti reported their midday landing. A motorcade transporting the US delegation departed the airfield toward central Moscow, accompanied by Russian presidential advisor Kirill Dmitriev. Kremlin officials did not publish an official timetable for the meeting, though previous discussions between Putin and foreign representatives typically took place late in the evening. Witkoff and Kushner arrived carrying a US peace proposal designed to negotiate an end to the four-and-a-half-year war.

Three-day strike pause on Kyiv

Ahead of the diplomatic engagement, Putin instructed the Russian military to halt air attacks on the Ukrainian capital for three days, taking effect at midnight on Saturday. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov announced the decision through Tass, stating that the pause connects directly to preparations and establishing contacts with the incoming US delegation. The pause on strikes is limited to Kyiv and does not alter military operations along the active frontline. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy confirmed that Ukraine agreed to mirror the measure by refraining from drone and missile strikes against Russian airspace and targets during the three-day window, maintaining the protocol used during earlier American diplomatic visits.

Flight logistics and airport strikes

The itinerary includes a scheduled visit to Kyiv on Sunday, marking the first time Witkoff and Kushner travel directly to the Ukrainian capital after multiple previous negotiation trips restricted to Moscow. Ukrainian airspace has remained closed to conventional air traffic since the full-scale Russian invasion began in February 2022. Officials examined arrangements to transport the envoys directly by air into Ukraine on Sunday, utilizing either Kyiv Airport or the nearby Boryspil Airport. Zelenskyy reported that Russian forces carried out strikes against both aviation facilities ahead of the expected arrival, linking the bombardment directly to the travel preparations.

Obviously, these Russian attacks on the airports are a reaction to the talks and preparations for a possible deployment of a US aircraft in Ukraine landing at Kyiv airport or Boryspil airport.

Resumption of diplomatic efforts

Negotiations over the travel arrangements and safety guarantees lasted several weeks, with the US administration insisting on a temporary halt to aerial bombardments before dispatching the team. American diplomatic mediation had previously slowed due to international focus on the conflict in Iran. Trump formally announced the diplomatic push on Friday, praising Witkoff and Kushner as skilled negotiators tasked with testing whether a diplomatic settlement can be reached.

We have sent them over to see if we can get something done.

Following the conclusion of their talks with Russian officials in Moscow on Saturday, Witkoff and Kushner are scheduled to travel to Kyiv on Sunday to deliver the US proposal directly to the Ukrainian government.