Russian President Vladimir Putin made his first public remarks on the proposed 30-day ceasefire in Ukraine, saying that while he is “for it,” he has concerns and wants his own security guarantees. During a press briefing in Moscow on Thursday, Putin said that Russia was ready for a ceasefire in its war with Ukraine, but added that the ceasefire would only work provided that it offered lasting peace that addressed the root causes of the conflict.
Putin thanked President Trump “for his attention to Ukraine’s settlement. We believe that this ceasefire should lead to a long-term peace and eliminate the initial causes of this crisis.” He added: “We agree with the proposals to stop the hostilities.. but there are issues that need to be discussed .. It seems to me, it would be very good for the Ukrainian side to reach a truce for at least 30 days. And we are for it. But there is a nuance … If we stop the hostilities for 30 days, what does it mean? Does it mean that everyone who is there will leave without a fight? Or the Ukrainian leadership will give them an order to lay down their arms and just surrender? How will it be? It is not clear.These are all issues that require careful investigation from both sides.”
Putin said he also wants guarantees that during a 30-day ceasefire that Ukraine will not regroup, and questioned who would determine if there were any violations of a ceasefire; suggesting that Russia should talk with President Trump to discuss his concerns, while adding, “But the idea itself is to end this conflict with peaceful means. We support it.”
Russian foreign policy aide Yuri Ushakov called the outlined plan “nothing else than a temporary respite for the Ukrainian military, nothing more,” adding that the country’s “goal is still a long-term peaceful settlement… [that] takes into account the legitimate interests of our country. Steps that imitate peaceful actions, it seems to me, are of no use to anyone.”
Meanwhile, President Trump’s Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff landed in Moscow on Thursday morning for discussions on the ceasefire, with Ushakov telling the Russian news outlet Izvestia that Putin and Witkoff would have a closed-door meeting later in the day.
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