Ukraine proposed that Russia halt air strikes during negotiations
In Kyiv, Ukraine, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that Ukraine had proposed that Russia — the aggressor state — temporarily halt air strikes during negotiations related to possible visits by U.S. envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner.
In his evening address, Zelenskyy said that Ukraine would not carry out air strikes and called on Russia to reciprocate and halt its own air strikes for the duration of the negotiations.
Possible visits by U.S. representatives
As Dawn reports, Witkoff and Kushner, who are involved in U.S. efforts to mediate a peace agreement, may visit Russia and Ukraine this weekend.
Russia’s state news agency TASS reported the possible trip, citing an unnamed source. There was no official confirmation of these plans at the time of publication.
In January, Witkoff and Kushner had already visited Moscow, where they held approximately four hours of overnight talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin at the Kremlin. As of Friday, discussions of a possible trip to Ukraine were still ongoing, with September 6 named as one possible date. If confirmed, it would be the first visit to Kyiv by both U.S. negotiators.
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A senior Ukrainian official said that the U.S. representatives were expected to arrive in Kyiv on Sunday. A source familiar with the plans said that Russia opposed such a visit and had tried to persuade the U.S. side to change the itinerary.
Attack on the SBU headquarters
Earlier, according to Dawn, a Russian drone struck the headquarters of the Security Service of Ukraine in Kyiv. Zelenskyy accused Moscow of directing the strike specifically at the personal office of the head of the SBU.
The president also said that he had instructed the SBU to provide an appropriate and tangible response to the strike. Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha called the attack a significant escalation. According to a senior official, acting SBU head Oleksandr Poklad was not nearby during the attack.
Moscow and Kyiv maintain significant differences over ending the war. Putin has repeatedly demanded that Ukraine cede additional territory, while Kyiv has rejected such proposals, considering them tantamount to capitulation.
