Russian President Vladimir Putin expressed his tentative agreement on Thursday to a U.S. proposal for a 30-day ceasefire in Ukraine. However, he cautioned that specific terms still need to be worked out and stressed that any halt in hostilities should pave the way for a lasting peace.
“The idea itself is correct, and we certainly support it,” Putin announced during a news conference in Moscow. He highlighted the necessity of discussing the proposal with American counterparts, suggesting the potential for a call with U.S. President Donald Trump to deliberate further.
Meanwhile, President Donald Trump noted promising signals from Russia and shared a cautious optimism regarding Putin’s statement. Trump reiterated his readiness to engage in dialogue with Putin and emphasized the importance of bringing an end to the hostilities.
“Putin put out a very promising statement, but it wasn’t complete,” Trump remarked at the White House during a meeting with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte. He expressed the importance of Russia’s commitment and warned of the global disappointment if Russia’s intentions proved insincere.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy speculated that Putin might be contemplating a refusal to the ceasefire proposal. Zelenskyy accused Putin of avoiding directly communicating to Trump his desire to continue the war, asserting that Moscow was placing preconditions on the ceasefire to delay or nullify it.
Putin, who initiated a full-scale invasion of Ukraine over three years ago, emphasized the necessity of managing potential ceasefire violations, underlining Russia’s demand for assurances that Ukraine would not use the respite to bolster its military forces. He stated, “We agree with the proposals to halt the fighting, but we proceed from the assumption that the ceasefire should lead to lasting peace and remove the root causes of the crisis.”
The Russian leader’s comments came shortly after the U.S. special envoy, Steve Witkoff, arrived in Moscow for discussions regarding the ceasefire, which Ukraine has already accepted. A Kremlin adviser indicated that Putin would meet with Witkoff later that day.
Simultaneously, Russia claimed to have driven Ukrainian forces out of a critical town in Russia’s Kursk border region, where they’ve been attempting to dislodge Ukrainian troops for months.
Putin raised questions about the U.S.’s influence on Ukraine in accepting the ceasefire, particularly regarding the situation on the battlefield in Kursk. He queried the fate of Ukrainian troops in that region if the ceasefire were enacted, speculating on whether they would lay down arms peacefully.
Thanking Trump for addressing the situation in Ukraine, Putin also extended gratitude to the leaders of China, India, Brazil, and South Africa for their roles in seeking an end to the fighting. Notably, Russia has expressed its refusal to accept NATO member peacekeepers to monitor any prospective truce.
Putin’s seemingly conciliatory stance towards the U.S. marked a significant shift in bilateral relations with Russia and Ukraine since Trump’s return to office. Under Joe Biden’s administration, the U.S. stood as a robust ally to Ukraine. However, Trump’s policies have redirected the course, briefly halting military aid to Ukraine and questioning its intentions on ending the conflict.
The Russian Defense Ministry claimed a tactical victory in retaking the town of Sudzha in Kursk, a strategic location for Ukrainian operations. The claim followed Putin’s visit to commanders in the region, although it was not independently verified. Ukrainian officials have yet to comment on the matter.
As Trump leads diplomatic efforts to terminate the war, he hinted at imposing new sanctions on Russia should it fail to engage in peace discussions. U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent emphasized Trump’s readiness to apply substantial pressure through sanctions.
While the U.S. has substantial funds allocated for future arms shipments to Ukraine, the Trump administration has paused additional weaponry shipments, pending the outcome of peace talks.
The situation presents a dilemma for Russia, which must decide whether to embrace a ceasefire and potentially abandon territorial ambitions, or reject the offer, risking a setback in engagement with the U.S.
Ukraine’s military presence in Russia has been contested by Russian forces, with North Korean troops reportedly backing Russian efforts. Despite an audacious incursion into Russia last August, Ukraine’s position has not significantly altered the conflict’s trajectory.
The Washington-based Institute for the Study of War indicated that Russian forces have gained control of Sudzha, a border town previously housing around 5,000 residents. Meanwhile, Ukraine’s leading military official, Gen. Oleksandr Syrskyi, commented on the severe Russian airstrikes in the region, without confirming Sudzha’s current status but insisting on strategic troop maneuvers to better positions.