Russian President Vladimir Putin held discussions at the Kremlin with U.S. envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner on Saturday in an effort to restart negotiations aimed at resolving the Russia-Ukraine conflict. The meeting occurred amidst escalating aerial assaults from both sides. Both Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy agreed to a temporary halt in strikes on each other’s capitals during the talks.
The U.S. efforts to bring an end to the hostilities have slowed down as attention has been predominantly on the Iran conflict for the past six months. Witkoff and Kushner, who is President Donald Trump’s son-in-law, last visited Moscow in January for talks with Putin. They are scheduled to visit Kyiv, Ukraine’s capital, for the first time in the peace process on Sunday.
At the onset of the meeting in Moscow, Putin conveyed his warm regards and appreciation to Trump through Kushner and Witkoff. He characterized the situation in Ukraine as complex. The invasion of Ukraine by Russian forces commenced on February 24, 2022.
Presidential spokesperson Dmitry Peskov announced that Putin had instructed a three-day suspension of strikes on Kyiv, starting from midnight. Zelenskyy stated that Ukraine was willing to cease strikes on Moscow until Monday, following a discussion with the U.S. delegation upon their arrival in Moscow.
The American envoys were welcomed at the airport by Russian envoy Kirill Dmitriev. Dmitriev shared photos of their arrival, captioning it as “Welcome to Moscow Peacemakers.”
The peace talks have hit a standstill while Russia has intensified attacks on Kyiv and other cities with continuous bombardments, taking advantage of Ukraine’s limited air defense capabilities. Long-range strikes by Ukraine have targeted Russian military installations, oil refineries, and e-commerce centers, aiming to undermine the Kremlin’s war efforts and economy while impacting civilians.
The conflict between Russia and Ukraine has escalated, with troops facing challenges in advancing along the 1,250-kilometer front line. Russia has employed fast-flying, jet-powered drones, and the sound of air-raid sirens has become a daily occurrence in Kyiv.
Zelenskyy mentioned in a social media post that Russia conducted overnight strikes on Kyiv and Boryspil international airports, linking it to the upcoming U.S. visit. He expressed readiness to adapt operations concerning Russian airspace due to the presence of Ukrainian drones and missiles.
Russian attacks caused casualties and damage in Ukraine, including striking an industrial facility in Dnipropetrovsk region and a residential building in Nikopol district. Russia’s Ministry of Defence reported targeting metallurgical plants in the region that supply metal products for Ukraine’s military.
The conflict also resulted in injuries and damage in Ukraine’s Kyiv and Mykolaiv regions. Ukrainian air defenses intercepted numerous Russian drones, and Russian forces claimed to have shot down Ukrainian drones in retaliation.
In a cross-border incident, Ukrainian attacks wounded individuals in Russia’s Belgorod region. Both sides reported drone activities and defensive actions in the ongoing conflict.