US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and President Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner arrived in Moscow on Saturday and were received by Russian presidential envoy Kirill Dmitriev.
According to Russia’s state-run TASS news agency, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov confirmed that Russian President Vladimir Putin is scheduled to meet with the US delegation at the Kremlin.
The visit comes ahead of an expected trip by the US representatives to Kyiv on Sunday. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has confirmed that the US envoys will travel to the Ukrainian capital after their talks in Moscow.
US President Donald Trump said on Friday that Washington had a new and concrete proposal to end the war, but did not disclose details of the plan.
Meanwhile, Russia has announced a temporary halt to attacks on Kyiv. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Putin had instructed Russian forces not to carry out attacks on the Ukrainian capital for three days, beginning at midnight on Saturday, in view of the US delegation’s visit.
The latest diplomatic efforts come as fighting between Russia and Ukraine has intensified in recent weeks.
The last US-mediated talks between Moscow and Kyiv were held in February, but failed to produce a breakthrough. Since then, both sides have stepped up attacks on each other’s territory, while fighting has also intensified along the maritime front.
Kyiv has faced repeated Russian airstrikes for more than a week. Several buildings in the city centre, as well as warehouses and factories in suburban areas, have reportedly been targeted. A Coca-Cola production facility was also among the sites hit.
According to available figures, at least 53 people have been killed and 134 injured in Kyiv and the wider Kyiv region since the latest wave of attacks began last month.
On Friday, Russia also targeted the headquarters of Ukraine’s Security Service, known as the SBU, in central Kyiv.
Following the attack, President Zelenskyy said he had ordered Ukrainian forces to deliver a strong response to Russia. He said the response should reflect the scale of the Russian attack.
The Russia-Ukraine war is widely regarded as the deadliest conflict in Europe since World War II. Despite repeated diplomatic efforts, major differences remain between Moscow and Kyiv over the terms of a potential peace agreement.
Russia has demanded that Ukraine abandon its plans to join NATO and give up full control of four regions that Moscow claims as part of Russia.
Ukraine has rejected those demands and has refused to recognize the surrender of territory currently under its control.
