Russian President Vladimir Putin has ordered a three-day pause in strikes on the Ukrainian capital Kyiv from Saturday, ahead of a planned visit by a US delegation, Russian news agency Interfax reported, citing Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov.
Ukraine has kept its airspace closed since Russia launched its invasion in February 2022.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said earlier that Russia had struck airports in Kyiv and the nearby town of Boryspil ahead of the expected visit by US envoys. Witkoff and Kushner’s trip comes more than a week after a rare visit to Moscow by CIA director John Ratcliffe, who warned Russia against attacking NATO member states, according to US media. However, Zelensky said officials had discussed the possibility of the US peace negotiators travelling by plane for their expected visit to Kyiv on Sunday. US President Donald Trump said on Friday that his special envoys, Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, were travelling abroad in an effort to reach a peace deal between Russia and Ukraine.
