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Russian President Vladimir Putin has offered a potential pause in missile and drone strikes on Ukraine in an effort to avoid sanctions and secondary tariffs targeting Russia and its key trading partners.

Some shit you should know before you read: In the last month, the war in Ukraine has ramped up significantly ahead of President Trump’s looming ceasefire deadline for Russia. Trump has given the Kremlin until Friday to make concrete moves toward ending the war or face secondary sanctions (including increased tariffs on countries like China and India that continue to buy Russian oil, a move designed to cripple Russia’s wallet). Rather than de-escalating, Russia has escalated its attacks, launching brutal ground assaults that have resulted in high casualties. Simultaneously, Russia has ramped up its aerial attacks, with some nights seeing over 500 drone intrusions into Ukraine. In addition to Russia, Ukraine has also stepped up its use of drones to strike deep into Russian territory, with oil infrastructure being the primary target (a strategic move aimed at cockblocking Russia’s energy sales). These strikes have put some critical refineries offline, creating revenue losses for Russia.

What’s going on now: First reported by Bloomberg, the Kremlin is considering a limited “air truce” in Ukraine as a potential concession to President Trump, just days before his ceasefire deadline expires. The proposal, according to unnamed sources familiar with internal discussions, would involve a temporary pause in missile and drone strikes on Ukrainian territory. It would not constitute a full ceasefire and would only move forward if Ukraine agrees to participate.

The timing of the proposal is notable, coming just hours before Trump’s special envoy, Steve Witkoff, met face-to-face with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow for high-stakes talks aimed at halting the war. Witkoff met with Putin for three hours inside the Kremlin, and according to Russian officials, the meeting was “useful and constructive.” Yuri Ushakov, Putin’s foreign policy aide, said the conversation covered the Ukraine crisis and potential avenues for restoring US-Russia relations.

Ukrainian officials have responded to the idea of an “air truce” with skepticism. Previously, President Zelenskyy and other officials have raised concerns that a temporary truce could result in Russia exploiting it as cover for regrouping and rearming.