US envoys Witkoff, Kushner arrive in Moscow in fresh push for Russia-Ukraine peace
Their visit comes as Russian and Ukrainian attacks intensify, with Zelenskyy offering a temporary halt to airstrikes during the US-led diplomatic push
US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner arrived in Moscow on Saturday in a fresh attempt to revive stalled efforts to end Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, as both sides continued to exchange heavy air and drone strikes.
The envoys were met at the airport by Russian envoy Kirill Dmitriev, Russia’s state news agency Tass reported. They are expected to meet President Vladimir Putin before travelling to Kyiv on Sunday, in what would be their first visit to the Ukrainian capital.
US President Donald Trump has said the two envoys are carrying a proposal to end the war. The latest diplomatic push comes after previous US-backed negotiations lost momentum, with Washington’s attention also focused in recent months on its war with Iran.
Witkoff and Kushner last visited Moscow in January, when they met Putin at the Kremlin. They have not previously visited Kyiv.
Zelenskyy offers airstrike pause
The diplomatic effort comes against a backdrop of intensifying attacks along the 1,250-km front line and deep inside both countries.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Kyiv would refrain from airstrikes during the US envoys’ visit and urged Moscow to reciprocate.
“We have taken note of this Russian move, and next week we will adjust our operation accordingly regarding Russian airspace, which has become dangerous because of our drones and missiles in the sky,” Zelenskyy said on Saturday.
“There will be no airstrikes from our side, and Russia must do the same,” he added.
Zelenskyy also said Russian strikes on Kyiv and Boryspil airports appeared to be linked to preparations for the US delegation’s arrival. Russia had not initially publicly committed to a matching pause.
However, later on Saturday, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Putin had ordered a 72-hour suspension of strikes on Kyiv, beginning at midnight, coinciding with the envoys’ mission.
Russian attacks kill five in Ukraine
Despite the diplomatic activity, Russian attacks continued.
Five people were killed and five wounded at an industrial facility in southern Ukraine’s Dnipropetrovsk region, according to regional military administration head Oleksandr Hanzha. He said those killed were workers, including a locksmith, electrician, plumber and machinist.
Russia’s Defence Ministry said it had struck two metallurgical plants in the region, describing them as major suppliers of metal products for Ukraine’s military production.
A separate Russian attack in the Nikopol district wounded a 62-year-old man and damaged homes and an apartment building.
Two people were also wounded in the Kyiv region, where a strike sparked a fire that partially destroyed a nine-storey residential building in Boryspil.
In Mykolaiv, Russian drones repeatedly struck a shopping centre, injuring a 72-year-old man and a 17-year-old girl. Emergency crews were repeatedly forced to withdraw because of the threat of further attacks.
Ukraine’s Air Force said Russia launched ballistic missiles from its Rostov and Voronezh regions and deployed 167 attack drones overnight. Ukrainian air defences shot down or suppressed 128 of them.
Russia, meanwhile, said Ukrainian attacks wounded three people, including a 14-year-old girl, in the Belgorod region and claimed its forces shot down 53 Ukrainian drones.
The violence has also spread to key targets. On Friday, a Russian drone struck the headquarters of Ukraine’s Security Service, or SBU, in central Kyiv. The agency plays a major role in Ukraine’s long-range operations inside Russia. Ukrainian officials described the strike as a major escalation.
The latest attacks underscore the difficulty facing Witkoff and Kushner as they attempt to restart negotiations, even as both Moscow and Kyiv signal that they remain open to renewed US-led diplomacy.