Putin orders three-day halt on Kyiv strikes for Trump envoys Witkoff and Kushner

Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered a three-day halt to attacks on Kyiv starting Saturday, September 5, to facilitate a US diplomatic mission led by envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, as announced by Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov. The envoys arrived in Moscow on Saturday and are scheduled to meet Putin before traveling to Kyiv on Sunday with a new American proposal to end the war. The Kremlin stated the pause is linked to the Americans' contacts in Kyiv, while Moscow claims it received information about a similar Ukrainian cessation. The proposal reportedly includes a ceasefire formula, a US-backed free economic zone in the Donbass under third-party administration, and discussions on NATO and EU roles. Major gaps remain, as Moscow insists on Ukraine's NATO renunciation and territorial concessions, which Kyiv rejects.