Russian President Vladimir Putin met with U.S. envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner at the Kremlin on Saturday for renewed talks aimed at ending the war in Ukraine. The three-hour closed-door meeting ended without any announced breakthroughs, though Putin’s foreign policy adviser Yuri Ushakov described the session as constructive, frank, and useful.

The Moscow meeting comes as U.S. diplomatic momentum in the region has lagged over the past six months due to Washington's focus on the war in Iran. The envoys—including Kushner, President Donald Trump’s son-in-law—last visited Moscow in January. At the start of Saturday's discussions, Putin asked the delegation to extend his warm wishes and gratitude to Trump, while noting that the situation in Ukraine is "not simple."

Following the talks, Ushakov highlighted that discussions extended beyond the battlefield to economic topics and "potentially large, mutually beneficial joint projects for Russia and America." The envoys are scheduled to travel to Kyiv on Sunday, marking their first trip to the Ukrainian capital during the current peace effort.

Temporary Capital Strike Truce

Coinciding with the diplomatic summit, both nations agreed to a brief halt in aerial bombardment targeting their respective capitals.

"(Russian President Vladimir) Putin has ordered that no strikes be carried out against Kyiv for three days, starting at midnight today,” presidential spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told Russia’s Tass news agency.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy confirmed that he spoke with the U.S. delegation upon their arrival in Moscow and agreed to mirror the temporary pause.

"From now through the end of Saturday, as well as on Sunday and Monday, Ukraine is ready to refrain from strikes on Moscow, and we expect the Russians to do the same regarding Kyiv,” he said.

Zelenskyy also noted that Russian overnight strikes had targeted Kyiv and Boryspil international airports just prior to the truce, linking the timing directly to the U.S. envoys' travel plans.

“Clearly, these Russian strikes on the airports are a reaction to the discussions and preparations for the possibility of the U.S. side using an aircraft to travel to Ukraine,” Zelenskyy stated on social media. “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.”

Deadly Aerial Attacks Precede Pause

The temporary cease-fire on capitals comes amid an escalation in long-range strikes along the 775-mile front line, where ground progress remains stalled. Moscow has increasingly deployed fast-flying, jet-powered drones alongside standard Shahed and decoy models, targeting Ukrainian infrastructure including the Security Service (SBU) headquarters in Kyiv on Friday. In turn, Ukrainian drones have targeted military sites, oil refineries, and economic hubs inside Russia.

Heavy casualties and damage were reported across Ukraine leading up to the pause:

  • Dnipropetrovsk Region: Russian missile and drone strikes hit industrial facilities and residential areas in Dnipro, Nikopol, and Pidhorodne. Five workers were killed at one facility. Regional administration head Oleksandr Hanzha identified the victims: “A locksmith, an electrician, a plumber and a machinist. People of peaceful professions. They were simply working their shift. They were doing their job when enemy missiles cut off their lives.” Russia's Defense Ministry claimed it targeted two metallurgical plants supplying Ukraine's military.

  • Kharkiv Region: A Russian drone destroyed a home in Chuhuiv, killing a 19-year-old woman, an 11-year-old boy, and a 45-year-old man, while injuring a 40-year-old woman.

  • Kyiv Region: Drone strikes in the Bucha district killed two people and damaged 28 facilities across five districts, including homes, railway tracks, and agricultural sites.

  • Mykolaiv Region: A shopping center was repeatedly struck overnight by drones, injuring two civilians and forcing firefighters to repeatedly withdraw due to secondary attack risks.

Ukrainian air defense reported shooting down or suppressing 128 out of 167 Russian drones deployed overnight. Meanwhile, Russian border regions also reported casualties, with local authorities in Belgorod stating that Ukrainian attacks killed two people and injured three others, as Russia's Defense Ministry reported intercepting 53 Ukrainian drones overnight. (AP)