Zelenskyy proposes temporary ceasefire with Russia ahead of US envoys' visit
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has proposed a temporary halt to airstrikes between Ukraine and Russia as US President Donald Trump's envoys prepare to visit Moscow and Kyiv over the weekend in an effort to advance negotiations aimed at ending the Russia-Ukraine war.
US envoys Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff are scheduled to travel to Moscow on Saturday and Kyiv on Sunday, respectively, for discussions on a possible peace agreement.
Zelenskyy calls for 'silence' during US envoys' visit
Zelenskyy confirmed the planned visits in a post on Telegram, saying the details had been discussed with the US President's team.
Today, it has been clearly established that U.S. envoys will be in Ukraine and Russia in the coming days. We have the details from the U.S. President’s team. We discussed today that Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner will visit Moscow and then Kyiv on Sunday. We are preparing for… pic.twitter.com/MTehI6o2uw
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) September 4, 2026
He proposed that Ukraine refrain from carrying out airstrikes while the American envoys are travelling and conducting their diplomatic engagements.
"There will be no air strikes from our side, and Russia must mirror this," Zelenskyy said, calling for a period of calm long enough to allow the negotiations and logistical arrangements surrounding the US visit to take place.
Proposal comes after Russian airstrike
Zelenskyy's proposal came hours after Russia carried out a daytime airstrike on Ukraine's intelligence service headquarters.
The Ukrainian President said the attack targeted the office of the country's intelligence chief.
Despite the latest attack, Zelenskyy said Kyiv was prepared to create conditions that would allow the US envoys to travel safely and hold talks.
He said Ukrainian diplomats had already held discussions to prepare for the visit and that arrangements had been made to ensure the normal functioning of Russian airspace during the envoys' travel.
'Real options' to end the war
Zelenskyy said Ukraine wants to explore "real options" for ending the conflict, which has now continued for more than four years.
"We'll see what proposals Steve and Jared have and what Moscow will say to them," Zelenskyy said.
The proposed temporary ceasefire could provide a limited window for diplomacy as Washington seeks to bring Moscow and Kyiv closer to a potential peace agreement.
US envoys to meet both sides
The visits by Kushner and Witkoff are expected to focus on possible pathways towards ending the conflict and addressing logistical and diplomatic hurdles.
Zelenskyy said Kyiv was ready to hear the proposals from the US representatives and assess Moscow's response as efforts continue to find a negotiated end to the war.
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