Putin and Zelenskyy agree to pause strikes on Kyiv and Moscow during U.S. envoy talks

Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy agreed Saturday to pause strikes on each other's capitals while U.S. envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner visit to revive stalled peace efforts. Putin ordered a three-day halt on Kyiv strikes starting midnight, while Zelenskyy said Ukraine would refrain from hitting Moscow through Monday. The U.S. delegation met with Putin in Moscow on Saturday and plans to visit Kyiv on Sunday, with Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov confirming the meetings but noting "no talk of new ideas" to end the conflict. The agreement follows intensified aerial attacks on both sides, including a Russian drone strike Friday on Ukraine's Security Service headquarters in Kyiv. The peace push has lost momentum as U.S. attention shifted to its war with Iran over the past six months. Witkoff and Kushner last visited Moscow in January, and this marks their first trip to Kyiv, with Russia intensifying bombardments amid Ukraine's air defense shortages.