"No Airstrikes On Our Part": Zelensky Proposes Ceasefire With Russia

Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky on Friday proposed a temporary ceasefire with Russia while Trump envoys visit Moscow and Kyiv over the weekend.

US envoys Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff are scheduled to visit Moscow and Kyiv on Saturday and Sunday, respectively, to talk about a possible peace deal to bring an end to the Russia-Ukraine war.

Zelensky's proposal comes on a day when Russia conducted a midday airstrike on Ukraine's intelligence service headquarters, which the Ukrainian President said had targeted the intelligence chief's office.

The Ukraine President confirmed the visits of the Trump envoys in a post on Telegram. "The details are from the American President's team. We discussed today that Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner will visit Moscow and on Sunday they will visit Kyiv."

He said Ukrainian diplomats had conducted a meeting to prepare for the visit to Kyiv, during which it was decided that the normal functioning of the Russian airspace will be maintained so that Kushner and Witkoff can arrive safely.

"There will be no air strikes from our side, and Russia must mirror this by ensuring silence without its air strikes for the time needed to hold these negotiations and resolve the logistical issues associated with this American visit," Zelensky said, proposing the ceasefire.

He said that Ukraine cares about the envoys and "not Russia", adding that the country wants "real options" to bring an end to the war that has been continuing for four-and-a-half years.

"We'll see what proposals Steve and Jared have and what Moscow will say to them," Zelensky wrote.

In recent days, Russia has increased its daytime air attacks on Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities, relentlessly striking civilian areas. 

Before striking Kyiv in broad daylight on Friday, Russia struck the Odesa region in a massive overnight attack that killed one person and injured at least five others, including a child. Overnight attacks elsewhere also killed two police officials at Dnipro.

Earlier in the day, a US official confirmed the Trump envoys' visit to Moscow and Kyiv. This will be their first visit to the Ukrainian capital to negotiate a settlement and bring peace to the region.