Russian President Vladimir Putin acknowledged President Donald Trump’s efforts to broker a ceasefire in Ukraine during a nuanced address on Thursday. However, he emphasized the need for a lasting resolution rather than a temporary 30-day cessation of hostilities.
“The idea itself is correct, and we certainly support it,” Putin stated cautiously at a Moscow news conference. “But there are issues that we need to discuss, and I think that we need to discuss it with our American colleagues and partners.”
Putin continued, “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.”
While Putin avoided a direct rejection of the 30-day ceasefire agreement previously accepted by Ukraine, he indicated that numerous factors required further consideration. These included the situation of Ukrainian troops in Russia’s Kursk region, which he claimed would soon be completely encircled.
Putin also asserted that a ceasefire would primarily benefit Ukraine by allowing it to mobilize and rearm.
“In these conditions, I believe it would be good for the Ukrainian side to secure a ceasefire for at least 30 days,” Putin remarked.
Putin’s remarks mirrored earlier comments from his senior advisor, Yuri Ushakov, who told a Russian reporter that the ceasefire proposal was “nothing other than a temporary breathing space for Ukrainian forces and nothing else.”
“We believe that our goal is a long-term peaceful normalization – we are striving for this,” Ushakov added. “Our concerns are known. No one needs steps that imitate peaceful actions in this situation.”
Ushakov, who met with national security advisor Mike Waltz and Secretary of State Marco Rubio in Saudi Arabia last month, indicated that Putin would address Moscow’s concerns during a press conference later on Thursday.
These comments followed Ushakov’s discussion with Waltz and the arrival of special envoy Steve Witkoff in Moscow to facilitate further negotiations.
Reports on Thursday suggested that Russia had presented its own conditions for ending the conflict, though these demands remain unconfirmed. Previous demands included preventing Ukraine from joining NATO and asserting control over the five Ukrainian regions it has illegally annexed, only one of which is fully under Russian occupation.
Ukraine agreed to the 30-day ceasefire on Tuesday after a lengthy meeting with Waltz and Rubio in Saudi Arabia, conditional on the Kremlin’s approval.
The ceasefire aimed to encourage both sides to cease fighting, enabling further discussions on issues such as territory, occupation status, prisoner exchanges, and the return of abducted Ukrainian children.
The State Department has not yet responded to requests for comment.
Russia intensified its missile and drone attacks after the U.S. paused military aid and intelligence sharing, following President Trump’s suggestion that he doubted Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s commitment to peace.
These comments followed a heated exchange in the Oval Office when Zelenskyy refused to sign an agreement without security guarantees from the U.S.
Vice President JD Vance accused Zelenskyy of being “disrespectful.”
However, following successful talks with Ukraine in Jeddah this week, the U.S. promptly resumed aid and intelligence sharing.
“Ukraine is committed to moving quickly toward peace, and we are prepared to do our part in creating all of the conditions for a reliable, durable, and decent peace,” Zelenskyy stated in a post on X Thursday. “I thank our teams for the fact that military aid and intelligence sharing resumed.”
“Ukraine was ready for an air and sea ceasefire, but the U.S. proposed extending it to land. Ukraine welcomes this proposal,” he added.
Zelenskyy stated that Putin’s silence on the ceasefire proposal “once again demonstrates that Russia seeks to prolong the war and postpone peace for as long as possible.”
“We hope that U.S. pressure will be sufficient to compel Russia to end the war,” he concluded.
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