Today's Edition
MOSCOW (Reuters, AFP)
Russian President Vladimir Putin began talks with US envoys Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff on ending more than four years of war in Ukraine in the Kremlin Saturday, ahead of their first visit to Kyiv expected on Sunday.
Both Russia and Ukraine vowed not to strike each other's capitals for three days during the negotiations, as Washington tries to revive US-led talks to end the conflict.
US President Donald Trump earlier said his son-in-law Kushner and business ally Witkoff were bringing "a proposal to end the war".
"Dear colleagues, I warmly welcome you to Moscow. The situation is, of course, not simple," Putin told the envoys in a grand Kremlin hall in footage aired by Russian TV.
"But before we begin to address it, I would like to ask everyone to convey their best wishes and words of gratitude to US President Mr. Trump," Putin said.
"The Russian president, the commander-in-chief, has given the order from midnight tonight not to strike Kyiv for three days," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.
Zelensky - who had offered a truce during the US visits - later said he had spoken to the US envoys and also promised Kyiv would not strike Moscow.
"From now through the end of Saturday, as well as on Sunday and Monday, Ukraine is ready to refrain from strikes on Moscow," Zelensky said on social media.
Earlier today, Witkoff and Kushner landed in Moscow on Saturday for talks on how to end the war in Ukraine, where they were met by Russian presidential envoy Kirill Dmitriev.
A motorcade, carrying Witkoff, Kushner and Dmitriev, left Moscow's governmental airport and headed towards the city, a Reuters witness said.
US President Donald Trump suggested on Friday the US had a fresh concrete proposal aimed at ending the war, which is now in its fifth year. He did not, however, elaborate on what that proposal would be.
