US special representatives Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner came to Moscow on Saturday as Washington ratcheted up its efforts to get negotiations to stop the Russia-Ukraine war going again.
On Sunday, the two US envoys’ first trip to the Ukrainian capital is expected. US President Donald Trump has stated that they are taking a proposal that will discuss the possibility of a peace agreement being reached.
The diplomatic effort comes as the war between Russia and Ukraine rages on, with both sides conducting regular missile and drone strikes.
Moscow and Kyiv come to an agreement on a temporary pause
Russia and Ukraine have agreed not to attack each other’s capitals in the context of the US envoys’ visits.
Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered a truce on Kyiv to come into effect at midnight, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky also stated that Ukraine would not attack Moscow until Monday. The US side had already started consultations with the Russian side, he said.
The temporary measure comes after months of greater attacks on both countries.
Kiev’s airports are being targeted by Russia, Zelensky alleges
Before the US delegation is expected to arrive, Zelensky said the Russian army had launched nighttime attacks on two of Kyiv’s airports.
He said the attacks were an attempt to delay preparations for the American officials’ visit and that another Russian attack in the Dnipro region had resulted in five deaths.
The Ukrainian government has not allowed flights to its airspace since Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022, making a possible flight by the US envoys to Kyiv unusual. Foreign officials have travelled to Ukraine by train on the whole.
Trump says peace proposal is being discussed
Trump stated Wi-tkoff and Kushner were dispatched to determine whether progress toward an end of the conflict can be made.
The US president did not specify any details about the proposal or state whether it would involve Ukraine ceding any territory, which has been a sticking point in earlier peace negotiations.
Witkoff and Kushner have also been involved in negotiations to achieve ceasefires in other wars and have previously participated in negotiations with Russia.
The fighting is still going on along with diplomatic efforts
The latest diplomatic effort is taking place while Russian and Ukrainian forces continue long-range attacks.
Zelensky says a Russian drone recently attacked the Ukrainian SBU’s headquarters in Kyiv. Five people were killed and five injured in another Russian attack in the Dnipropetrovsk region, Ukrainian officials said.
Peace initiatives have also been repeatedly stalled and fighting has resulted in casualties and significant damage to be done both in the two countries.
The latest trip of the US envoys is the latest measure by Washington to try to get Moscow and Kyiv back on the negotiating table.
