Ukraine says Russia yet to respond to ceasefire proposal

Ukrainian Presidential Office chief Kyrylo Budanov said on Saturday that Kyiv has proposed a ceasefire to Moscow covering strikes on Ukrainian territory and fighting along the front line, adding that the offer was personally delivered to Russian President Vladimir Putin. Speaking to public broadcaster Suspilne, Budanov noted that Russia has yet to respond to the proposal, though he indicated Moscow would likely pause strikes on Kyiv only on Sunday.

US envoys' weekend mission

The anticipated lull in strikes coincides with the expected arrival of US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and President Donald Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner, who are scheduled to visit both Moscow and Kyiv over the weekend according to Axios and Russian state news agency Tass. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy confirmed that the American envoys would travel to Kyiv on Sunday following their stop in the Russian capital. The visit marks the first time the two officials have traveled to the Ukrainian capital since US-mediated negotiations commenced earlier this year.

Stalled negotiations

Moscow and Kyiv last held US-mediated peace negotiations earlier this year, with three rounds of talks held in Abu Dhabi on Jan. 23-24, in Abu Dhabi again on Feb. 4-5, and in Geneva on Feb. 17-18. The negotiations have since been paused, with both sides attributing the halt to Washington's shift in focus toward Iran following the outbreak of war in late February. Witkoff and Kushner have made several trips to Moscow since the talks began — including a Jan. 22 meeting with Putin at the Kremlin — but have never previously visited Kyiv.