JUST IN: Putin Announces Temporary Ceasefire While U.S. Envoys Visit Ukrainian Capital

(Bernat Armangue/Russian Presidential Press Service/AP photos)

Vladimir Putin announced a temporary stop to strikes on Kyiv, just hours after U.S. Envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner arrived in Moscow Saturday — and just a day after Russia hit the headquarters of Ukraine’s Secret Service.

A three-day ceasefire was to begin at midnight Sunday, according to reports citing Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov.

Witkoff and Kushner were expected to make their first trip to the Ukranian capital Sunday.

The diplomats’ visit to the region comes as the United States is renewing efforts to achieve peace five years after Russia invaded Ukraine.

The pair landed in Moscow Saturday and were expected to meet with Putin, Peskov confirmed to Russia’s Tass News agency, according to the AP. 

While Witkoff and Kushner were greeted at the airport by Russian envoy Kirill Dmitriev, who posted photos of the airport greeting on X with the caption, “Welcome to Moscow Peacemakers,” Peskov was quick to warn against optimism that the Russian invasion of Ukraine would come to an end after more than five years.

“Putin has ordered that no strikes be carried out against Kyiv for three days, starting at midnight today,” Peskov said, confirming the temporary ceasefire was due to Witkoff and Kushner’s presence in the region.

But he said there was “no talk of new ideas” to end the ongoing war.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky had pledged to make Russian airspace for Witkoff and Kushner.

“We will ensure the normal functioning of Russian airspace so that the negotiators can arrive safely. We are looking out for them, not for Russia. There will be no air strikes from our side,” he said, urging Russia in a post on X to do the same.

But after Zelensky’s announcement, Russia targeted a key government building in Kyiv — the headquarters of Ukraine’s Secret Service, which is involved in the headline-making operations inside Russia, according to the AP.

This is a breaking story and has been updated.

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