Russian President Vladimir Putin declared on Thursday that he agrees in principle with a United States' proposal for a 30-day ceasefire in Ukraine, but that the terms must be discussed, and emphasized that this should pave the way towards lasting peace.
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“So the idea itself is correct, and we certainly support it,” Putin said at a press conference in Moscow. “But there are issues that we need to discuss, and I think we should talk about this with our American colleagues and partners.”
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He pointed out the need to develop a mechanism to control possible violations of the ceasefire. Another issue, he stated, is whether Ukraine could use the 30-day ceasefire to continue with mobilization and rearmament.
“We agree with the proposals to stop the fighting, but we start from the assumption that the ceasefire must lead to a lasting peace and eliminate the root causes of the crisis,” Putin stated.
What are Putin’s doubts about a ceasefire with Ukraine?
Putin noted that, although it seemed like the United States had persuaded Ukraine to accept a ceasefire, its conflict-ridden neighbor is interested in it due to the situation on the battlefield, ensuring that Ukrainian troops that launched a raid in the Kursk region, in Russia, would be completely blocked in the coming days.
“In these conditions, I believe it would be good for the Ukrainian side to secure a ceasefire for at least 30 days,” he stated.
Referring to the Ukrainian troops in Kursk, he commented: “Will they all leave without fighting?”
Putin thanked US President Donald Trump “for paying so much attention to the resolution in Ukraine.”
He also thanked the leaders of China, India, Brazil, and South Africa for their “noble mission of ending the fighting to prevent casualties,” a statement that indicated the possible involvement of these countries in a ceasefire agreement.
Russia has said that it will not accept observers from any NATO member to monitor a possible ceasefire.
A government envoy from the United States arrived in Russia.
Previously, a Trump envoy arrived in Moscow on Thursday for talks on the ceasefire, but a senior Russian official said that the truce would only help Kiev by giving its weary and depleted military force a respite.
The diplomatic effort coincided with a Russian statement that its troops have driven the Ukrainian army out of a key city in the border region of Kursk, where Moscow has been trying for seven months to remove Ukrainian troops from their position.
A US official confirmed the arrival of Trump’s special envoy, Steve Witkoff.
The renewed military push by Russia and Putin’s high-profile visit to his troops took place as Trump seeks a diplomatic end to the war, which began over three years ago with Russia’s large-scale invasion.
On Tuesday, the United States lifted its suspension of military aid to Kiev after high-ranking American and Ukrainian officials reported progress on how to stop the fighting during talks in Saudi Arabia.
Trump said on Wednesday that “now it’s up to Russia” as his administration pressures Moscow to accept the ceasefire. The US president has made veiled threats of imposing new sanctions on Russia if it does not get involved in peace efforts.
The United States still has around $3.85 billion in funds authorized by Congress for future arms shipments to Ukraine, but the Trump administration has not shown interest so far in using that authority to send additional weapons while waiting for the outcome of peace proposals.