Moscow Considers Pause in Air Strikes as Trump’s Envoy Arrives for Last-Ditch Peace Talks

By Stefan J. Bos, Worthy News Europe Bureau Chief

MOSCOW/BUDAPEST (Worthy News) – Moscow was pondering options in its war against Ukraine on Wednesday, including a pause on air strikes, ahead of the arrival of U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff.

Officials recognize that Witkoff’s visit to Russia this week offers a last opportunity for Moscow to agree with U.S. President Donald J. Trump on ending Europe’s bloodiest conflict since World War II.

A pause on air strikes involving drones and missiles as “a de-escalation gesture” may be one potential proposal, provided that Ukraine also signs up, according to sources familiar with the situation.

Still, President Vladimir Putin won’t agree to a general ceasefire in Ukraine as his forces continue steady advances on the battlefield, and Russia’s war aims remain unchanged.

It’s unclear whether any restraint offer would include conditions that effectively made it unacceptable to Kyiv and its allies, reported Bloomberg News agency.

Trump has said Witkoff is due to go to Russia as soon as Wednesday for the fifth time this year, and the Kremlin has said a meeting with Putin “may take place.”

The U.S. president threatens to impose heavy tariffs from Friday on countries including China and India that buy Russian oil and other goods, to pressure Putin to call a halt to the war that’s now in its fourth year.

TRUMP FRUSTRATED

Trump has become increasingly frustrated with Putin, after initially praising him while calling Ukraine’s democratically elected President Volodymyr Zelenskyy a dictator.

“I go home, tell the First Lady: ‘I spoke with Vladimir today, and we had a wonderful conversation.’ She says, ‘Oh really? Another city was just hit’,” Trump recently recounted talks with Melania about Putin and Ukraine.

He told reporters last week that they have “such respectful and nice conversations, and then people die the following night in a – with a missile going into a town.”

Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko raised “an air truce” in remarks alongside Putin on Friday, though the Russian leader didn’t comment on it.

In June, Lukashenko met Trump’s Ukraine envoy, Keith Kellogg, the highest-level US official to visit Belarus since 2020. “I say, yes, Russia is interested in this, President Putin, but you don’t want it,” Lukashenko told reporters, referring to the talks. “Tell Zelenskiy to go along with it.”

Kellogg is expected to visit Kyiv later this week for talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Ukrainian media reported Monday, citing people in the presidential office.

Zelenskyy said he held “productive” phone talks with Trump on Tuesday, including sanctions against Russia.

FULLY INFORMED

He added that the U.S. president was “fully informed” about Russian strikes on Kyiv and other cities and communities.

Russia stepped up air attacks on Ukraine in recent weeks, including with record numbers of drones, as Putin maintains hardline demands in return for a deal to end the war, observers say.

Those include Kyiv’s acceptance of neutral status and recognition of Russia’s annexation of Crimea and four regions of eastern and southern Ukraine that his troops only partly occupy.

Ukraine rejects these conditions, calling for Russia to agree to a ceasefire to allow space for negotiations on a peace accord.

While Russia may agree on a temporary pause in air attacks, a truce at the frontlines is unlikely as Russia captured more territory in recent weeks, officials said.

Scores of people have died in recent air strikes impacting the Ukrainian capital Kyiv and other cities, according to authorities and independent reporting.

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