Putin orders 3-day pause in airstrikes amid envoys’ visits

Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered a 72-hour pause in strikes on Kyiv, the Kremlin said yesterday, as US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner arrived in Moscow to try to revive a stalled push to end Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

“Putin has ordered that no strikes be carried out against Kyiv for three days, starting at midnight today,” presidential spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said.

The decision was tied to preparations for the envoys’ planned visit to the Ukrainian capital, which Kyiv has said will take place today, he added.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, left, and US envoy Steve Witkoff meet at the chancellery in Berlin on Dec. 15 last year.

Photo: AP

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy on Friday said Ukraine would halt airstrikes during the envoys’ visit and urged Moscow to do the same.

Washington’s push to end the fighting, now in its fifth year, has lost momentum as US attention has been focused for the past six months on its war with Iran. The last known visit to Moscow by Witkoff and Kushner was in January, when they met with Putin in the Kremlin.

The envoys were met yesterday at the airport by Russian envoy Kirill Dmitriev, Tass reported.

Dmitriev shared photos of him greeting the US delegation as they disembarked, alongside the caption: “Welcome to Moscow Peacemakers.”

With peace efforts stalled, Russia had intensified its attacks on Kyiv and other cities with relentless bombardments recently stretching into daylight hours, taking advantage of Ukraine’s shortage of air defensive systems.

On Friday, a Russian drone hit one of the most important government buildings in Kyiv — the headquarters of Ukraine’s Security Service, which is one of the agencies involved in carrying out deep-strike operations inside Russia.

The long-range strikes by Ukraine have hit Russian military facilities, oil refineries and e-commerce hubs, seeking to undermine the Kremlin’s war effort and economy, as well as make ordinary citizens feel the consequences of the war.

The air war between Russia and Ukraine has intensified as troops have struggled to make progress along the front line. Russia has been using fast-flying, jet-powered drones, and the recurring wail of air-raid sirens has become part of daily life in Kyiv.

Zelenskiy wrote on social media that Russia had carried out overnight strikes on Kyiv and Boryspil international airports, and linked the attack to the US visit.

“Clearly, these Russian strikes on the airports are a reaction to the discussions and preparations for the possibility of the US side using an aircraft to travel to Ukraine,” he said. “We have taken note of this Russian move, and next week we will adjust our operation accordingly regarding Russian airspace, which has become dangerous because of our drones and missiles in the sky. Of course, there are and will be no threats to diplomacy from our side.”