Putin orders halt on Kyiv strikes for 3 days, to hold talks with US envoys today

Russian President Vladimir Putin has ordered a three-day pause in strikes on the Ukrainian capital Kyiv from Saturday, ahead of a planned visit by a US delegation, Russian news agency Interfax reported, citing Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov.Russian President Vladimir Putin has ordered a 72-hour pause in strikes on Kyiv. (AP/File Photo)Putin was scheduled to meet US special representatives Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner on Saturday, Peskov told the TASS news agency.Zelensky says Russia hit Ukrainian airportsUkrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said earlier that Russia had struck airports in Kyiv and the nearby town of Boryspil ahead of the expected visit by US envoys."Clearly, these Russian strikes on the airports are a reaction to the discussions and preparations for the possibility of the U.S. side using an aircraft to travel to Ukraine and land at Kyiv Airport or Boryspil Airport," he said on the Telegram app. "Russian-Iranian Shaheds (drones) in response to American diplomacy."Ukraine has kept its airspace closed since Russia launched its invasion in February 2022. However, Zelensky said officials had discussed the possibility of the US peace negotiators travelling by plane for their expected visit to Kyiv on Sunday.US envoys to discuss Ukraine peace planUS President Donald Trump said on Friday that his special envoys, Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, were travelling abroad in an effort to reach a peace deal between Russia and Ukraine.The latest move is Washington's attempt to overcome a diplomatic deadlock in Europe's deadliest conflict since World War II.Peace negotiations have been held up amid Washington's war with Iran, as Russia and Ukraine have also intensified long-range attacks, driving civilian casualties to their highest levels since the conflict began.The new diplomatic push comes as Russia and Ukraine continue to carry out long-range missile and drone strikes against each other.Witkoff and Kushner's trip comes more than a week after a rare visit to Moscow by CIA director John Ratcliffe, who warned Russia against attacking NATO member states, according to US media.With inputs from agencies