Moscow (TDI): Russian President Vladimir Putin’s top foreign policy aide said on Thursday that he had told Washington that a 30-day ceasefire proposed by the US to pause the war in Ukraine would simply give Kyiv’s forces a much-needed battlefield respite.
Russia’s advances along the front in recent months and US President Donald Trump’s attempt to strike a peace agreement to end the 3-year-old conflict have raised fears that Ukraine, which was backed by the West, could lose the war.
Trump’s Middle East special envoy Steve Witkoff arrived in Russia on Thursday to meet Putin.
Russian officials said that US National Security Adviser Mike Waltz had provided details on the ceasefire idea on Wednesday and Moscow was ready to discuss it, Reuters reported.
Trump said on Wednesday that he hoped the Moscow would agree to the US proposal for a 30-day ceasefire that Ukraine said it would support.
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Yuri Ushakov, a former ambassador to the US who speaks for Putin on major foreign policy issues, told state television that he had spoken to Waltz on Wednesday to outline Moscow’s position on the ceasefire.
“I stated our stance that this is nothing other than a temporary respite for the Ukrainian forces,” Ushakov said.
“Our goal is a long-term peaceful settlement that takes into account the legitimate interests of Russia and its concerns. It seems to me that no one needs any measures that [merely] imitate peaceful actions in this situation,” he said.
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Asked if Moscow was, therefore, rejecting the proposal, Ushakov stated that Putin is expected speak to the media later today and outline Russia’s position in more detail.
