Putin orders 3-day pause in strikes on Kyiv as US envoys visit Moscow

In early September 2026, Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered a three-day halt to strikes on the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv, starting at midnight, as a US delegation arrived in Moscow for talks. The pause was announced by the Kremlin and came after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy proposed a ceasefire. Reports indicate that Putin and Zelenskyy agreed to pause strikes on both Kyiv and Moscow during the negotiations with the US envoys, who are reportedly linked to President Trump's mediation efforts.