Vladimir Putin not opposed to Ukraine ceasefire, but has serious questions
Russian President Vladimir Putin has supported the idea of a 30-day truce in Ukraine, albeit with many conditions that he is willing to discuss with his American counterpart, Donald Trump. According to Putin, the ceasefire agreement should also lead to lasting peace between the two countries, and he expressed fear that Ukraine could take advantage of the pause to acquire more troops and weapons.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has supported the idea of a 30-day truce in Ukraine, albeit with many conditions that he is willing to discuss with his American counterpart, Donald Trump.
"The idea itself is correct. And, of course, we support it, but there are doubts that we must address," Putin said at a press conference after meeting with Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko.
Putin made these remarks before holding closed-door talks in the Kremlin with U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff, with whom he planned to discuss both Ukraine and the normalization of bilateral relations.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky had demanded a concrete response from Putin and, in response to the delay, accused Russia of trying to "prolong the war and postpone peace as long as possible."
Limited support
The Russian leader began by repeating what he has been saying since last year: that Moscow is against giving the Ukrainian army a "breathing space" to regroup and regain its strength just as it is losing ground in the Donbas.
"Russia agrees with the proposal to cease military action, but we believe this must lead to lasting peace and eliminate the root causes of the crisis," he stated. He was referring to the need to ensure that Ukraine never becomes a NATO member, something Putin fully agrees with the new US administration on.
"We're in favor, but there are drawbacks," he insisted, referring to the truce request.
Speaking of the drawbacks, he first asked what will become of the Ukrainian soldiers still fighting in the Russian region of Kursk, partially occupied by Kyiv since August 2024.
"The situation is completely under our control. The contingent that invaded our territory is isolated (…) They have only two options: surrender or die," he stated.
Putin donned camouflage fatigues for the first time the day before and inspected troops in Kursk, where the Russians have recaptured more than 200 square kilometers of territory, coinciding with the suspension of US military aid to Ukraine.
The Russian Defense Ministry confirmed on Thursday the capture of the town of Sudzha, the heart of the Ukrainian defense forces, who are reportedly withdrawing.
Putin's questions
Putin posed several questions, which the United States will have to answer in the coming days. He began with the situation in Kurs.
"Will everyone there leave without a fight? Should we let them go after they've committed numerous crimes against the civilian population? Or will the Ukrainian leaders order them to lay down their arms and surrender? How will we do that? It's unclear," he said.
He expressed the same opinion about the front line in Ukraine, where, he said, Russian troops are advancing in almost all sectors and have options to encircle large enemy units.
"How will those 30 days be used? Will they be used to continue the forced mobilization in Ukraine? Will they be used to ship weapons there?" he asked.
Putin wondered who would be responsible for overseeing and verifying the cessation of hostilities and ensuring that the enemy doesn't take advantage of this situation to regroup.
"How will you guarantee that none of this happens? How will control be organized?" he asked. He also asked, "Who will give the order to cease military action, and what will the price be?"
"Imagine, it's almost 2,000 kilometers. Who decides where and who violates the potential ceasefire agreement along 2,000 kilometers?" he asked.
Trust with Trump
In this regard, he asserted that the issues will require "hard" work from both sides and expressed his willingness to discuss them with the United States, which reached a truce agreement with Ukraine this week in the Saudi city of Jeddah.
"President Trump and I can talk about it on the phone and discuss it together. But we support the very idea of ending the conflict through peaceful means," he noted. In this regard, Putin thanked his American counterpart for his efforts to end the conflict in Ukraine.
"I would like to begin by expressing my gratitude to the President of the United States, Mr. Trump, for his keen interest in resolving the Ukrainian issue," he emphasized. Trump responded immediately from the Oval Office: "I would love to meet with him and talk to him, but we have to get this over with quickly."
Putin also highlighted the attention paid to the Ukrainian conflict by the main leaders of the BRICS group: China, India, Brazil, and South Africa.
Kremlin international affairs adviser Yuri Ushakov was much more precise in conveying the true mood in the Kremlin.
"I think the document is hasty... We'll have to work, reflect, and take our position into account as well. It only reflects the Ukrainian position," said Ushakov, who ruled out the possibility of the two leaders meeting this Thursday.