Russia and Ukraine agree not to strike capitals during talks with US envoys

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This image grab from a video filmed on December 23, 2025 and provided by the Ukrainian Presidential Office shows Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky addressing in Kyiv. Volodymyr Zelensky said on December 24, 2025 the latest version of a plan to end the Russian invasion would freeze the front line, but still pave the way for Ukrainian withdrawals and the creation of demilitarised zones. (Photo by Handout / UKRAINIAN PRESIDENTIAL OFFICE / AFP) / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE – MANDATORY CREDIT “AFP PHOTO / – / HANDOUT /UKRAINIAN PRESIDENTIAL OFFICE ” – NO MARKETING NO ADVERTISING CAMPAIGNS – DISTRIBUTED AS A SERVICE TO CLIENTS

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US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner were in Moscow Saturday and expected to head to Kyiv the next day, with Russia and Ukraine vowing not to strike each others’ capitals during talks on ending more than four years of war.

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US President Donald Trump earlier said his son-in-law Kushner and business ally Witkoff were bringing “a proposal to end the war”.

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The envoys are expected to head for their first visit to Kyiv Sunday, in Washington’s latest bid to break a diplomatic stalemate in Europe’s deadliest conflict since World War II.

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Both the Kremlin and Kyiv vowed not to strike their main cities during the talks, after months of escalating attacks.

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“The Russian president, the commander-in-chief, has given the order from midnight tonight not to strike Kyiv for three days,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.

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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky — who had offered a truce during the US visits — later said he had spoken to the US envoys and also promised Kyiv would not strike Moscow.

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“From now through the end of Saturday, as well as on Sunday and Monday, Ukraine is ready to refrain from strikes on Moscow,” Zelensky said on social media.

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The Ukrainian leader said the US officials have “already begun working with the Russian side today.”

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Earlier, he accused Russia of trying to disrupt their visit with overnight strikes on Kyiv’s two airports, as well as on a civilian target in the Dnipro region that killed five people.

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“Clearly, these Russian strikes on the airports are a reaction to the discussions and preparations for the possibility of the US side using an aircraft to travel to Ukraine,” Zelensky said on X.

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It will be the first time that Witkoff and Kushner visit Kyiv since Trump returned to office last year with a pledge to resolve the conflict.

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Travelling to Kyiv by plane would be a highly unusual move, with Ukrainian airspace closed since 2022 because of the war. Visiting leaders and officials have generally travelled by train.

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The envoys are expected in Kyiv on Sunday, a senior Ukrainian official told AFP, while US outlet Axios reported they would meet Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow on Saturday.

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Trump told reporters the envoys would seek to gauge whether progress towards peace was possible.

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Peace efforts have stalled, in part because of Washington’s war with Iran, while Moscow and Kyiv have intensified long-range attacks, driving up civilian casualties to levels not seen since the start of fighting in February 2022.

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“I sent Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, two great negotiators. They’ve done a great job, and we sent them over to see whether or not we can get something done. And there may be a good chance that we’ll do it,” Trump said.

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The US president would not say whether the plan the envoys were bringing involved Ukraine ceding territory as he has previously suggested, but added: “We have an idea for peace.”

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Witkoff and Kushner, who have been involved in negotiations for ceasefires in Gaza and Iran, have travelled repeatedly to Moscow in previous attempts at diplomacy.

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Grinding war

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The renewed push for diplomacy comes as Russia and Ukraine pummel each other with long-range missile and drone attacks.

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Just hours before Trump’s announcement on Friday, a Russian drone struck the headquarters of Ukraine’s SBU security service in central Kyiv, according to Zelensky.

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The strike, which Zelensky said was aimed at the office of the agency’s acting chief, was the first on its headquarters since the start of Russia’s offensive.

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Overnight, a Russian strike killed five people and wounded five others in the southeastern city of Kamianske, said Oleksandr Ganzha, head of the Dnipropetrovsk regional military administration.

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Witkoff and Kushner’s visit comes after a rare trip to Moscow last month by CIA director John Ratcliffe, who warned Russia against any attack on NATO member states, according to US media.

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Earlier this week, the United States welcomed the Russian finance minister at a G20 gathering in North Carolina.

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