The invasion of Ukraine through Russia in February 2022 left hundreds of thousands of dead and injured, shifted millions of people, reduced cities to rubble, and triggered the clearest confrontation for decades between Moscow and the West.
Putin’s strongly qualified support for the proposal to cease -the US was designed to signal goodwill to Washington and open the door for more conversations with US President Donald Trump. But the large number of clarifications and conditions that Putin said it was necessary to rule out a quick cease.
“We agree with the proposals to stop hostilities,” Putin told reporters at Kremlin after conversations with Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko. “The idea itself is correct, and we certainly support it.”
“But we proceed from the fact that this cessation must be such that it would lead to peace in the long run and eliminate the original causes of this crisis.”
He began to list a series of issues that, he said, needed to clarify and thanked Trump, who says he wants to be remembered as a peacemaker for his efforts to finish the war. Both Moscow and Washington now release conflict as a deadly power war that could have turned into World War III.
Trump, who said he was willing to talk to the Russian leader by telephone, called Putin’s statement “very promising” and said he hoped Moscow “do the right thing.”
Trump said Steve Witkoff, his special envoy, was involved in serious conversations with the Russians in Moscow in the US proposal, with which Kiev already agreed.
The US president said these discussions on Thursday would show if Moscow was ready to make a deal. “Now let’s see whether or not Russia is there and, if not, it will be a very disappointing moment for the world,” he said.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said Putin was preparing to reject the proposal to cease -but was afraid to tell Trump.
“This is why in Moscow they are imposing the idea of ceasing -so far under these conditions, so that nothing happens, or so that it cannot happen as long as possible,” Zelenskiy told his nightlife.
Any delay would give Russia more time for its troops to push the last Ukrainian forces out of western Russia, while Moscow cling to Kiev permanently gives rise to Russia, a position that Ukraine rejects.
West and Ukraine describe the 2022 invasion of Russia as a capture of imperial -style land and promised to repeatedly defeat the Russian forces. Russian forces control almost one fifth of Ukraine’s territory and have been advancing since mid -2024.
Trump said his government is discussing what Ukraine from Earth would maintain or lose under any agreement, as well as the future of a large plant.
He did not name it, but was probably referring to the installation of Zaporizehzia occupied by Russia in Ukraine, the largest nuclear plant in Europe. Both sides accused of risking an accident at the factory with their actions.
Putin portrays conflict as part of an existential and decaying existential battle that he says humiliated in Russia after the Berlin wall fell in 1989, increasing NATO’s military alliance and invading Moscow’s sphere of influence, including Ukraine.
Putin and Trump
Putin said the Russian forces were advancing throughout the front line and that the cease -Fogo would have to ensure that Ukraine did not seek to use it simply to regroup.
“How can we and how will we be guaranteed that none of this will happen? How will control (from cease) be organized?” Putin said. “These are all serious issues.”
Putin said he can call Trump to discuss the issue.
The United States agreed on Tuesday to resume the supply of weapons and the intelligence sharing with Ukraine after Kiev said in Saudi Arabia negotiations that was ready to support a ceasing proposal.
Russia in recent days has pressured a lightning offensive in the West Russian region of Kursk against Ukrainian forces that broke the border in August in an attempt to divert the Moscow military from East Ukraine, win a bargain chip and embarrass Putin.
The Russian leader wondered how to cease -Fogo would affect the situation in Kursk, where Putin on Wednesday wore a camouflage uniform -extremely rare for the former KGB office -to visit a command post.
“If we stop hostilities for 30 days, what does this mean? That everyone who will leave without fighting?” He said.
Ukraine now has less than 200 square kilometers in Kursk, below 1300 km2 at the height of the raid, according to the Russian military.
