Putin responds to ceasefire proposal with Ukraine

In his address, Putin expressed gratitude to US President Donald Trump for focusing on the issue of the war in Ukraine.

"We are grateful to all of them for this, as this effort is aimed at achieving the noble mission of ending the fighting and human losses. First. Second, we agree with the proposal to stop the fighting. But we believe that this cessation must lead to long-term peace and eliminate the initial causes of this crisis," said Putin.

At the same time, he stated that Ukraine’s decision to agree to a ceasefire was made under pressure from the US.

"I am absolutely convinced that the Ukrainian side should have requested this from the Americans in the more insistent way, given the situation on the ground, as has been said," Putin added.

Putin expressed concern over what would happen in the Kursk region during a ceasefire, claiming that Russia fully controls the situation there. He labeled the Ukrainian Armed Forces' operation in the Kursk region as an act of terrorism and stated that Ukrainian troops would face isolation.

"The group that invaded our territory is isolated. It is completely isolated, with full fire control. Ukrainian command within this zone of invasion has been lost. Initially, just a week or two ago, Ukrainian soldiers tried to exit in small groups, but now that is impossible," Putin said.

He believes that Ukrainian forces can only leave the Kursk region in two ways: by surrendering or dying. This, according to him, is why Ukraine should agree to a ceasefire.

"If we stop fighting for 30 days, what does that mean? That everyone who is there will leave without fighting? Should we let them out after they committed numerous crimes against civilians? Or will the Ukrainian leadership order them to lay down their arms and simply surrender? How will that work? It’s unclear," Putin remarked.

Interestingly, the Russian President is also concerned about who will control the ceasefire along the frontlines in Ukraine. He is convinced that Russia is currently advancing across the entire line of demarcation.

Putin fears that Ukraine might use the 30-day ceasefire to strengthen its army with both personnel and new equipment.

"How will these 30 days be used? To supply weapons, to train the newly mobilized units? How will the control and verification issues be resolved? How will we be guaranteed that none of this will occur?" he said.

Additionally, Putin has already raised concerns about who will be held responsible for any violations of the ceasefire. He is unsure who will issue orders to stop fighting.

"Who will give the orders to cease hostilities? And what is the value of these orders? Can you imagine, it's almost 9,000 kilometers. Who will determine where and who violated a potential ceasefire agreement over two thousand kilometers? And then, who will assign blame for breaking this agreement? These are all questions that need careful consideration from both sides. So, the idea itself is correct, and we certainly support it. However, there are issues that we need to discuss," the President stated.

A 30-day ceasefire in Ukraine

Negotiations have recently taken place in Saudi Arabia, during which the Ukrainian and American delegations reached a number of agreements. In particular, Washington proposed a 30-day ceasefire on the front line. Kyiv, in turn, supported this proposal.

Today, an American delegation has arrived in Russia to discuss the ceasefire with the enemy. However, Putin's foreign policy aide, Yuri Ushakov, said that Russia is not interested in a temporary ceasefire with Ukraine. However, according to Andriy Kovalenko, head of the Center for Countering Disinformation, the final decision is up to Putin.

Earlier, Bloomberg wrote that US President Donald Trump wants to ensure that Ukraine agrees to a quick ceasefire with Russia. Such an agreement is a condition for signing a minerals deal.

At the time, Zelenskyy proposed to establish a ceasefire at sea and in the air. According to him, these could be the first stages of ending the war.