Earlier today Russia announced they would pause all military strikes against Kiev, Ukraine for three days, as Trump administration emissaries for peace Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner conduct sensitive negotiations.  The duo is meeting with Vladimir Putin in Moscow today.

Shortly thereafter, Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy also announced he would pause any drone strikes into Russia as the diplomatic effort gets underway.  Both Kusner and Witkoff are expected to arrive in Kiev for that side of the discussions tomorrow.

Kushner and Witkoff were met at the Moscow airport by Russian emissary Kiril Dmitriev.

Today happens to be Moscow City Day, a celebration of the 879^th anniversary of the founding of Moscow.

Witkoff and Kushner then traveled to the Kremlin for talks with Russian Federation President Vladimir Putin.  The U.S. delegation is said to be carrying a new peace proposal from the White House. The meeting comes amid continued international attention on diplomatic efforts involving Russia and the United States, including discussions surrounding the war in Ukraine and broader relations between Washington and Moscow.

[The Kremlin is back on YouTube 👀🤔]

Something about these specific negotiations and the timing therein is different.  Today Witkoff and Kushner meet with Vladimir Putin following a visit by CIA Director John Ratcliffe to the Kremlin where he met with his Russian counterpart Sergey Naryshkin, the head of Russia’s Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR).

Approximately three days after the Ratcliffe visit to Moscow, Russia began targeting specific missile and ammunition warehouses in Kiev with exceptional accuracy.  Some of the targeted buildings were in residential areas, much to the surprise of Ukraine President Zelenskyy, who claimed he was unaware of their location.  The ammunition storage strikes created massive explosions in Kiev resulting on numerous casualties.

Russia maintained an intensive 24/7 barrage using drones and missiles for four consecutive days.  Meanwhile, without sharing any evidence, Germany claimed Russia was conducting “hybrid attacks” throughout Europe.  Again, there is no evidence to support this claim, which was promoted by European NATO allies yet refuted by local authorities in each of the examples cited.

President Trump has remained in open communication with Russian President Putin and Trump has emphasized that Russia has no intention of striking any NATO country.  Finland President Alexander Stubb also said he sees no evidence of Russia seeking to expand their targeting, but also said Europe should be fully prepared just in case.

“We have an idea for peace,” President Trump told reporters on Friday. “I sent Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, two great negotiators. They’ve done a great job, and we sent them over to see whether or not we can get something done. And there may be a good chance that we’ll do it.”

Ukraine began striking Russian retail warehouses belonging to a company called Wildberries, similar to Amazon, in a misguided effort to further hurt the Russian economy.  It was futile, Russian commerce is decentralized.  Russia, however, began retaliatory strikes against retail warehouses in the Kiev region and immediately eliminated 90% of the retail food distribution (Ukraine is heavily centralized) causing immediate shortages in the population center.  Tens-of-thousands of Kiev residents have now fled the metropolitan area.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy – “I have just spoken with the U.S. President’s envoys. They have already begun working with the Russian side today. From the moment of this conversation, we are ready to observe a ceasefire in airstrikes against the cities involved in the negotiation process. From now through the end of Saturday, as well as on Sunday and Monday, Ukraine is ready to refrain from strikes on Moscow, and we expect the Russians to do the same regarding Kyiv.

Today, I also received reports from Defense Minister Yevhenii Khmara and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Mykhailo Drapatyi on the situation at the front, the dynamics of threats in Ukraine’s airspace, our steps, and active defensive operations. I am grateful to every one of our warriors for effectively defending Ukraine’s positions.

On the diplomatic track, our actions must be, and will be, just as strong and effective – one hundred percent. The plan for tomorrow’s diplomatic engagements in Kyiv, involving the U.S. team, has been approved. We are waiting for Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner and are ready for a substantive conversation. Thank you to everyone who stands with Ukraine!” (source)