'There Will Be No Airstrikes': Zelenskyy Proposes Ceasefire With Russia Ahead Of US Envoys' Visit - news18.com

**Kyiv’s Cease‑fire Offer Comes as U.S. Diplomats Prepare for High‑Stakes Shuttle Diplomacy**

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy told the nation on Thursday that Ukraine would suspend all air operations against Russian‑occupied territories if Moscow agrees to a mutually monitored cease‑fire. The announcement, made in a televised address, stressed that “there will be no airstrikes on our part” as part of a broader proposal that also includes the release of civilian detainees and the opening of humanitarian corridors. Zelenskyy framed the offer as a “step toward ending the bloodshed” and said it is intended to create a conducive environment for the imminent visit of senior U.S. envoys who will travel to both Kyiv and Moscow later this week.

The U.S. delegation, composed of senior officials from the State Department and the National Security Council, is expected to meet with President Vladimir Putin in Moscow and with Zelenskyy in Kyiv over the weekend. Their mission, described by the White House as an effort to “re‑launch mediation” and explore a diplomatic pathway out of the conflict, follows a series of stalled negotiations and recent escalations on the front lines. Analysts note that the timing of Kyiv’s cease‑fire proposal is designed to signal Ukrainian willingness to de‑escalate while still safeguarding territorial integrity, hoping to shape the talks before any formal agreements are drafted.

Reactions in Moscow have been cautious. Russian officials have not yet confirmed whether they would accept a pause in Ukrainian air strikes, but they have repeatedly called for “a comprehensive cease‑fire that includes the withdrawal of all foreign weapons from Ukrainian soil.” International observers, including the United Nations and the European Union, welcomed the overture as a potential confidence‑building measure, urging both sides to keep channels open and avoid rhetoric that could inflame tensions. The coming days will test whether the diplomatic overtures can translate into a verifiable truce, or whether entrenched positions on the battlefield will continue to dominate the conflict’s trajectory.

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