--- title: "Zelensky Announces Ukraine's Readiness for a Pause in Strikes on Moscow in Exchange for Russia Ceasing Attacks on Kyiv" description: "Zelensky stated that Ukraine is ready to refrain from strikes on Moscow from Saturday through the end of Monday, expecting a mirror pause by Russia regarding Kyiv amid preparations for negotiations with a U.S. delegation." date: 2026-09-05T14:34:00.000Z lang: en url: https://xab.info/en/posts/zelensky-pause-strikes-moscow-kyiv-negotiations tags: [ukraine, russia, zelensky, kyiv, moscow, air-strikes, ceasefire, diplomacy, trump-envoys] publisher: "XAB.info" --- # Zelensky Announces Ukraine's Readiness for a Pause in Strikes on Moscow in Exchange for Russia Ceasing Attacks on Kyiv ![Volodymyr Zelensky at a meeting discusses Ukraine's readiness for a pause in strikes on Moscow in exchange for Russia stopping attacks on Kyiv](https://xab.info/media/2026/09/05/zelensky-pauza-udarov-moskva-kyiv-peregovory/zelensky-pauza-udarov-moskva-kyiv-peregovory-1.webp) ## 🎯 Key Points - Zelensky announced Ukraine's readiness to refrain from strikes on Moscow from Saturday through the end of Monday. - Kyiv expects Russia to mirror this by not striking Kyiv during the same period. - The decision was made after Zelensky's conversation with representatives of the U.S. president; Kyiv is awaiting Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner. - The Kremlin earlier declared a pause in strikes on Kyiv from midnight on September 6 to September 9, but only for the city, excluding Kyiv Oblast. - The parties' statements differ on the timeframes, geographic scope, and the nature of the arrangement (unilateral readiness vs. mutual agreement). On September 5, 2026, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky stated that Kyiv is prepared to refrain from aerial strikes on Moscow for a limited period. According to him, this decision was made following a conversation with representatives of the U.S. president, who have already begun working with the Russian side. Kyiv expects Moscow to mirror this by refraining from strikes on the Ukrainian capital, and this arrangement is tied to the preparation of a negotiation process involving a U.S. delegation. ### Mutual Readiness for a Pause in Aerial Strikes As reported by RBC-Ukraine, citing Zelensky's address, since the conversation with the American side, "the parties are ready to observe a cessation of aerial strikes on the cities involved in the negotiation process." The president explicitly set the timeframe: "From now until the end of this Saturday, on Sunday and Monday, Ukraine is ready to refrain from strikes on Moscow, and we expect the Russians to do the same regarding Kyiv." Thus, the pause covers Saturday, Sunday, and Monday, with the Ukrainian side framing it as a unilateral readiness coupled with an expectation of reciprocal steps from Moscow. ### Diplomatic Track and Visit of the U.S. Delegation Zelensky also reported that he had heard briefings from Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov and Commander-in-Chief of the Ukrainian Armed Forces Oleksandr Syrskyi on the situation at the front, the dynamics of aerial threats, and Ukraine's active defensive operations. He emphasized that on the diplomatic front, Kyiv's actions will be "just as strong and effective," and that the plan of diplomatic measures for the following day in Kyiv, involving the American team, has already been approved. "We are waiting for Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner and are ready for a substantive conversation," the president added, pointing to the expected visit of the U.S. administration's envoys. ### Kremlin Position and Geographic Scope of the Pause Earlier, the Kremlin announced that Russian President Vladimir Putin had instructed that no strikes be carried out on Kyiv for three days — from midnight on September 6 to September 9 — linking this to the preparation and conduct of negotiations in the capital. However, head of the Center for Countering Disinformation Andriy Kovalenko noted that the pause declared by the Kremlin concerns only the city of Kyiv, with no mention of Kyiv Oblast or other regions. This creates a significant asymmetry in the geographic scope of the declared restrictions on both sides. ### Contradictory Data There are a number of inconsistencies in the statements of the parties and in fact-checking materials. First, the timeframes differ: Zelensky describes the pause as "until the end of Saturday, on Sunday and Monday," whereas the Kremlin specifies the period "from midnight on September 6 to September 9," i.e., effectively until the end of Tuesday. Second, RBC-Ukraine presents the situation as "mutual agreement," yet Zelensky frames Ukraine's position as a unilateral readiness with an "expectation" of a reciprocal step from Moscow, rather than as a signed bilateral agreement. Third, according to several outlets (NewTimes, Meduza), Russia carried out demonstrative strikes on airports in Kyiv and Boryspil amid reports of the U.S. negotiators' visit, which calls into question the reality and durability of the announced pause at the moment of its announcement. Finally, the geographic scope of the restrictions does not match: the Ukrainian pause is tied to Moscow, while the Russian one is limited to Kyiv without Kyiv Oblast. ### Background and Reactions of the Parties It is worth recalling that earlier, head of the Presidential Office Kyrylo Budanov confirmed that Ukraine had proposed to Russia to cease fire both at the front and in the air, but Moscow had not responded to that proposal. In this context, Zelensky's current statement appears as an attempt to establish a limited regime of mutual restraint on aerial strikes precisely during the preparation for negotiations with the U.S. delegation, while both sides retain the right to strike territories not covered by the declared scope. ## 🔍 Fact-Check Verification - [Zelensky Declares Mutual Agreement with Russia Not to Strike Kyiv and Moscow](https://www.rbc.ua/ukr/news/zelenskiy-zayaviv-vzaemnu-zgodu-rf-biti-kievu-1788618758.html) - Основной источник заявления Зеленского о паузе ударов по Москве с субботы до конца понедельника и ожидании зеркального шага РФ по Киеву; упоминает разговор с представителями президента США. - [Ukraine Will Not Strike Russia - Zelensky Names the Reason](https://glavred.info/war/ukraina-ne-budet-nanosit-udary-po-rossii-zelenskiy-nazval-prichinu-10794104.html) - Подтверждает факт заявления Зеленского о воздержании от ударов и причину — переговорный процесс с участием американской стороны. - [Zelensky: Russia Struck Kyiv Airports Before the Visit of Trump's Envoys](https://newtimes.kz/obshchestvo/223315-zelenskii-rossiia-udarila-po-aeroportam-kieva-pered-vizitom-poslannikov-trampa) - Дополнительный контекст: удары по аэропортам Киева перед визитом посланников Трампа; использовано в блоке противоречивых данных как аргумент о реальности паузы. - [Zelensky: Russia Demonstratively Struck Airports in Kyiv and Boryspil Amid Reports of ...](https://meduza.io/news/2026/09/05/zelenskiy-rossiya-demonstrativno-udarila-po-aeroportam-v-kieve-i-borispole-na-fone-soobscheniy-o-vizite-peregovorschikov-ssha) - Подтверждает «демонстративный» характер ударов по аэропортам Киева и Борисполя на фоне сообщений о визите переговорщиков США; учтено в разделе противоречий. ## ❓ FAQ ### Q: For what period is Ukraine ready to refrain from strikes on Moscow? **A:** According to Zelensky, from Saturday (including the remainder of Saturday), on Sunday, and through the end of Monday. At the same time, Kyiv expects Russia to mirror this by not striking Kyiv. ### Q: What did the Kremlin say in response? **A:** The Kremlin earlier announced that Putin had instructed that no strikes be carried out on Kyiv from midnight on September 6 to September 9, linking this to the preparation of negotiations in the capital. However, as noted by Andriy Kovalenko, this pause concerns only the city of Kyiv, not Kyiv Oblast or other regions. ### Q: Is this a bilateral ceasefire agreement? **A:** No, no full bilateral ceasefire agreement has been declared. Zelensky frames Ukraine's position as a unilateral readiness with an "expectation" of a similar step from Moscow, and earlier Kyrylo Budanov noted that Moscow had not responded to Kyiv's prior proposal to cease fire both in the air and at the front. ### Q: What discrepancies exist in the parties' statements? **A:** The timeframes differ (the Ukrainian pause — through the end of Monday, the Russian one — through September 9), the geographic scope (city vs. city without the oblast), and the nature of the wording (unilateral readiness vs. media framing as "mutual agreement"). In addition, according to several outlets, strikes on the airports of Kyiv and Boryspil were carried out before the pause was announced.