Kyiv signals a potential confidence-building move as US envoys shuttle between Putin and Ukrainian leaders in fresh peace push…reports Asian Lite News Desk
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Kyiv was prepared to observe a temporary halt in airstrikes on Moscow while negotiations continue, as US envoys shuttle between Russia and Ukraine in a renewed push for a political settlement.
Zelensky said Ukraine would refrain from striking the Russian capital from Saturday through Monday, following a phone conversation with US President Donald Trump’s envoys, Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner.
“From now through the end of Saturday, as well as on Sunday and Monday, Ukraine is ready to refrain from strikes on Moscow,” Zelensky said in a post on X.
He added that Kyiv expected Moscow to take similar steps regarding the Ukrainian capital.
Witkoff and Kushner are expected to travel to Kyiv on Sunday after holding lengthy talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow, according to reports.
The Kremlin described the discussions with the US envoys as substantive and constructive, with the talks lasting more than three hours.
Kremlin aide Yury Ushakov said Putin had reaffirmed Russia’s willingness to continue working with Washington in search of a political and diplomatic solution to the conflict.
However, Moscow maintained that any lasting settlement would need to address what it describes as the “root causes” of the war, while also stressing its confidence in achieving its military objectives.
The meeting extended beyond the Ukraine conflict, with Russian and US representatives also discussing economic issues and the possibility of large-scale projects that could benefit both countries, Ushakov said.
He described the negotiations as timely and beneficial and said the two sides had agreed to maintain contact through Witkoff and Kushner, while the Russian and US presidents would continue direct communication.
The Kremlin said the US envoys would carry Moscow’s assessments and observations from their meeting with Putin to Kyiv during their upcoming talks with Ukrainian officials.
Zelensky’s offer of a temporary pause in strikes marks a potential confidence-building step as Washington intensifies diplomatic efforts to bridge the gap between Kyiv and Moscow and explore the prospects for a durable peace settlement.
