Russian President Vladimir Putin has declared a three-day cease-fire in the war in Ukraine, an announcement that came as Jared Kushner and US envoy Steve Witkoff arrived in Moscow on Saturday for a new round of peace talks.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told Russia’s TASS news agency that Putin had “given orders” to pause strikes on Kyiv for three days beginning at midnight, citing preparations for and the holding of American contacts in the Ukrainian capital.
Witkoff and Kushner, President Trump’s son-in-law, landed at Moscow’s Vnukovo Airport, where they were met by Russian presidential envoy Kirill Dmitriev. Witnesses later saw their motorcade traveling toward the city, Reuters reported.
Their Moscow visit follows CIA Director John Ratcliffe’s Aug. 25 stop in the Russian capital and comes amid a renewed US diplomatic push to bring an end to the deadly conflict.
The two men are also expected to continue on to Kyiv on Sunday for talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, marking their first visit to the capital city.
President Trump suggested Friday that his intermediaries were making a push to finally end the conflict after more than four years.
“We have an idea for peace,” Trump said. “We sent them over to see whether or not we can get something done. And there may be a good chance that we’ll do it.”