Putin orders three-day halt to strikes on Kyiv during US envoy visit

Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered a three-day halt to strikes on Kyiv during a visit by US envoys Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff, the Kremlin announced Saturday. The visit aims to negotiate an end to the conflict between Russia and Ukraine. Kremlin spokesman Dmitri Peskov confirmed Putin would receive the envoys Saturday, with the ceasefire starting at midnight. The decision was linked to preparing contacts with the American delegation. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky had previously pledged Kyiv would not bomb Russia during talks and requested a reciprocal ceasefire. The US envoys arrived in Moscow Saturday as part of ongoing peace efforts initiated by President Donald Trump since early 2025. Trump stated "We have an idea for peace" without specifying whether the proposal involves Ukrainian territorial concessions, as previous attempts have yielded no tangible progress.