The president of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky has confirmed that Ukrainian forces will suspend their airstrikes against Russia during the visit of American envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, a pause that coincides with the three days during which Vladimir Putin has ordered to stop the Russian bombings over Kiev.
The decision from Kiev responds to the request of Washington to guarantee the safety of its representatives during the new diplomatic mission with which the Donald Trump Administration aims to reactivate talks to end the war. Zelensky had indicated that Ukraine was willing to halt its air operations during the stay of the negotiators and demanded that Russia do the same.
“There will be no airstrikes on our part, and Russia must do the same”, stated the Ukrainian leader, who defended the need to create the necessary conditions for American contacts to develop without incidents.
Ukraine responds to the pause announced by Putin
The Kremlin confirmed this Saturday that Putin has ordered not to attack Kiev for three days starting at midnight, precisely to facilitate the subsequent stay of Witkoff and Kushner in the Ukrainian capital.
The Russian presidential spokesperson, Dmitry Peskov, also assured that Moscow had been informed in advance of Zelensky's willingness to suspend Ukrainian attacks while the American delegation is in both countries.
In this way, Russia and Ukraine will simultaneously implement a temporary pause in certain airstrikes directly linked to the visit of the American mediators. The measure, however, does not imply a general ceasefire along the entire front line nor does it entail a complete suspension of military operations.
Zelensky wants “constructive” negotiations
The Ukrainian president has argued that the priority now is to take advantage of the visit of Trump's representatives to try to achieve progress after months of diplomatic blockage.
“Our goal is for the visit and negotiations with the American side to be as constructive and substantial as possible”, explained Zelensky in his message to the nation.
Witkoff and Kushner have arrived this Saturday in Moscow, where they are scheduled to meet with Putin, and will subsequently travel to Kiev to maintain contacts with the Ukrainian government. The Presidency of Ukraine had previously confirmed that both will be in the Ukrainian capital this Sunday.
The pause comes amid an escalation of attacks
The gesture occurs after several weeks of intensification of long-range attacks between Russia and Ukraine. Kiev has struck refineries, energy facilities, and other targets located in Russian territory, while Moscow has increased drone and missile attacks against Ukrainian cities and infrastructure.
Zelensky had warned earlier this week that Ukraine could make certain air communications within Russia "impossible" if attacks against its territory continued.
Now, however, Kiev has opted to temporarily interrupt those operations to ensure the safety of the American mission and test the Russian willingness to do the same.
Trump sends a new proposal to end the war
The visit is part of a new diplomatic attempt by Donald Trump. The American president has stated that Witkoff and Kushner are carrying a proposal aimed at ending the conflict, although the White House has not made its details public.
The differences between the parties remain deep. Moscow maintains territorial claims and demands that Ukraine renounce joining NATO, while Kiev rejects any agreement that involves accepting the forced loss of its territory.
The temporary suspension announced by Zelensky does not mean that Ukraine has accepted a general ceasefire, but it does constitute a gesture towards Washington and a direct response to the guarantees required for the visit.
In the coming days, attention will be focused on whether both countries adhere to the pause in their air attacks and whether the meetings of Witkoff and Kushner manage to break the diplomatic stalemate. For now, Kiev has confirmed that it will stop attacking Russia during the American mission and has made it clear that it expects exactly the same conduct from Moscow.