Moscow/Kyiv: Russian President Vladimir Putin has said he supports the idea of a ceasefire in Ukraine, but raised significant reservations regarding its implementation and objectives, casting doubt on whether the proposed 30-day truce could take effect.
The ceasefire proposal, initially agreed to by Ukraine following consultations with the United States earlier this week, was met with a cautious response from the Kremlin.
While addressing the press in Moscow on Saturday, President Putin acknowledged that the “idea is right” but stressed that numerous questions remained unresolved.
“We are in favour of a 30-day ceasefire,” said Putin, “but there are nuances.” He questioned how the truce would be enforced and monitored across a more than 2,000-kilometre-long front.
“Who decides who broke the ceasefire? Who polices it? Who gives the order to end the fighting and at what cost?” he asked.
Putin further insisted that any pause in fighting must not allow Ukraine time to rearm, regroup, or mobilise additional forces.
He also stated that a ceasefire must lead to “an enduring peace” and address what he described as the “root causes” of the conflict.
One of the contentious points raised was Ukraine’s alleged military incursion into Russia’s western Kursk region in August last year.
Putin claimed that Ukrainian troops had captured territory at the time but were now “isolated,” with their equipment abandoned and no viable exit. “There are two options for Ukrainians in Kursk: surrender or die,” he asserted.
However, the Ukrainian government quickly dismissed Putin’s remarks. President Volodymyr Zelensky, in his nightly address, called Putin’s response “manipulative” and accused him of preparing to reject the ceasefire in practice. “Putin, of course, is afraid to tell President Trump directly that he wants to continue this war, wants to kill Ukrainians,” Zelensky said.
He added that the Russian president had laid out so many conditions that “nothing will work out at all.”
Zelensky reiterated Ukraine’s support for a two-stage peace process: an immediate ceasefire followed by negotiations on a broader settlement, whereas Russia appears to favour addressing all issues, including territorial and security guarantees, in a single comprehensive agreement.
Meanwhile, in Washington, U.S. President Donald Trump expressed hope that the ceasefire plan could still move forward.
Speaking from the White House, Trump said he would “love” to meet Putin and urged Russia to “do the right thing.”
He revealed that discussions had already taken place with Ukraine on potential compromises, including territory.
“We’ve been discussing with Ukraine land and pieces of land that would be kept and lost, and all the other elements of a final agreement,” Trump told reporters.
Trump also met with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, where they discussed Ukraine’s possible future within the NATO alliance.
When asked whether Ukraine would join NATO, Trump replied ambiguously, “Everybody knows what the answer to that is.”
Meanwhile, the United States imposed fresh sanctions on Russia, targeting its oil, gas, and banking sectors. The measures further restricted Russia’s access to global payment systems, aiming to reduce its revenues from energy exports.
In a related development, Kremlin spokesperson Yuri Ushakov dismissed the U.S.-backed ceasefire proposal, calling it inadequate.
Russian state media later reported that Putin had visited the conflict-ridden Kursk region wearing military fatigues, reinforcing his symbolic association with Russia’s armed forces.
The situation on the ground remained volatile. On Thursday night and into Friday, both Ukraine and Russia reported new drone attacks. Ukraine said seven civilians, including children, were injured in the northeastern city of Kharkiv. Russia, meanwhile, reported a fire at a fuel depot in the southern city of Tuapse following a Ukrainian drone strike.
According to BBC-verified data, more than 95,000 Russian soldiers have been killed since Moscow launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Ukraine’s last official military death toll was updated in December 2024, when President Zelensky acknowledged 43,000 military casualties. Western analysts believe both figures significantly underestimate the true scale of losses.
The ongoing diplomatic back-and-forth suggests both Moscow and Kyiv are deeply entrenched in their respective positions, with each side leveraging the ceasefire debate to gain political and strategic advantage.
For now, a temporary halt to hostilities remains uncertain, as both nations continue to shape global narratives around peace, sovereignty, and accountability.
Source: BBC NEWS
