Putin Halts Strikes on Kyiv for Three Days as US Envoys Arrive in Moscow

Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered a three-day halt to Russian strikes on Kyiv starting September 5, coinciding with the arrival of US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner in Moscow for talks on the Ukraine war. The order followed Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's announcement that Kyiv would suspend its own airstrikes during the American visit and urged Moscow to reciprocate. Witkoff and Kushner are carrying a US proposal to end the conflict, though its details remain undisclosed. The envoys are scheduled to travel to Kyiv on September 6 to meet Zelenskyy, marking their first visit in current diplomatic roles. The talks come amid fresh escalation, including a Russian strike on Ukraine's SBU security service headquarters on Friday, and follow stalled US-mediated negotiations earlier this year.