Russia considers air truce proposal to Trump without ending war, Bloomberg says
The Kremlin is weighing a proposal to pause its long-range strike campaign in Ukraine as a potential concession to U.S. President Donald Trump, even as it remains committed to continuing the war, Bloomberg reported on Aug. 5, citing undisclosed sources familiar with the matter.
Russia has now three days left until the deadline set by Trump on July 29 to end its war in Ukraine.
According to Bloomberg, Russian officials are exploring options ahead of a visit by U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff to Moscow this week. One possible offer under consideration is a limited "air truce" involving a pause in drone and missile strikes, but only if Ukraine agrees to participate.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov confirmed the importance of the meetings with Witkoff, but declined to comment on any specific proposals.
Trump confirmed on Aug. 3 that Witkoff, may travel to Russia on Aug. 6 or 7.
"I think next week, Wednesday or Thursday, (he) may be going to Russia," Trump told reporters. "They would like to see him. They've asked that he meet, so we'll see what happens."
Witkoff have already met with Russian President Vladimir Putin in April. His interactions with Putin, including the use of Kremlin-provided translators and repetition of Russian narratives about the war, have been criticized from officials in Washington and abroad.
While Russian President Vladimir Putin is not expected to agree to a full ceasefire, Moscow is seeking ways to ease mounting pressure from Trump, Bloomberg writes.
"Trump needs some kind of a 'gift,' a concession from Russia," Sergei Markov, a Kremlin-aligned political analyst, told Bloomberg. "An air truce could be such a gift."
The idea of an "air truce" was also raised last week by Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko during talks with Putin on Aug. 1, though the Russian president did not comment publicly. Lukashenko previously discussed the concept with Trump's Ukraine envoy Keith Kellogg during a rare U.S. visit to Belarus in June.
Kellogg is expected in Kyiv later this week for meetings with President Volodymyr Zelensky.
Zelensky said he held "productive" phone talks with Trump on Aug. 5, including discussions on sanctions and recent Russian air strikes on Ukrainian cities.
