Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Friday suggested a temporary halt to hostilities with Russia as US President Donald Trump’s representatives prepare to travel to Moscow and Kyiv over the weekend.
Trump’s envoys, Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff, are expected to hold discussions in Moscow on Saturday and Kyiv on Sunday as part of efforts to explore a potential peace agreement aimed at ending the Russia-Ukraine war.
Zelensky put forward the proposal on the same day Russia carried out a daytime airstrike on the headquarters of Ukraine’s intelligence service. According to the Ukrainian President, the strike was directed at the office of the country’s intelligence chief.
In a post on X, Zelensky confirmed the planned visits by the US envoys. "The details are from the American President's team. We discussed today that Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner will visit Moscow and on Sunday they will visit Kyiv."
Zelensky said Ukrainian diplomats had held discussions ahead of the delegation’s arrival in Kyiv. During the meeting, officials agreed to keep Russian airspace operating normally to facilitate the safe arrival of Kushner and Witkoff.
"There will be no air strikes from our side, and Russia must mirror this by ensuring silence without its air strikes for the time needed to hold these negotiations and resolve the logistical issues associated with this American visit," Zelensky said while calling for the temporary ceasefire.
He added that Ukraine’s priority was the visiting US envoys and "not Russia", stressing that Kyiv was seeking "real options" to end the conflict, which has now lasted four-and-a-half years.
"We'll see what proposals Steve and Jared have and what Moscow will say to them," Zelensky wrote.
