Putin orders 72-hour ceasefire in Kyiv as US envoys arrive for talks

Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered a 72-hour halt to strikes on Kyiv starting Saturday midnight, coinciding with the arrival of U.S. special envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner in Moscow to restart stalled peace negotiations. The ceasefire follows Kyiv's proposal ahead of the talks, with Moscow's press secretary Dmitry Peskov citing preparations for American contacts in the Ukrainian capital, where the envoys are expected Sunday. The pause came after an overnight Russian attack killed at least five people. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky linked the airport strikes to U.S. aircraft arrival preparations. The envoys are scheduled to meet Putin later Saturday, amid intensified Russian drone attacks and Ukrainian strikes on Russian oil infrastructure.