In his first public remarks on the proposed 30-day ceasefire in Ukraine, Russian President Vladimir Putin said Moscow supports the idea but insists on receiving its own security guarantees, according to a report from ABC News.
Putin raised questions regarding a 30-day ceasefire during a press briefing in Moscow on Thursday, as President Donald Trump’s Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff landed in the city to discuss the proposal.
“It seems to me, it would be very good for the Ukrainian side to reach a truce for at least 30 days. And we are for it. But there is a nuance,” Putin said, highlighting concerns regarding Russia’s Kursk region, where Ukrainian forces pushed into last year in a surprise offensive but in recent weeks have seen Russian forces retake significant ground.
“If we stop the hostilities for 30 days, what does it mean? Does it mean that everyone who is there will leave without a fight?” Putin said. “Or the Ukrainian leadership will give them an order to lay down their arms and just surrender? How will it be? It is not clear.”
Putin said he also wants guarantees that during a 30-day ceasefire, Ukraine will not regroup, and he wondered who would determine if there were any violations of a ceasefire.
“These are all issues that require careful investigation from both sides,” he said.
Putin suggested Russia should talk with Trump to discuss his concerns, while adding, “But the idea itself is to end this conflict with peaceful means. We support it.”
U.S. and Ukrainian officials reached an agreement on a 30-day ceasefire during talks in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, earlier this week.
“Ukraine accepts this proposal, we consider it positive, we are ready to take this step. The United States of America needs to convince Russia to do so,” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said. “We agree, and if the Russians agree, the silence will take effect at that very moment. An important element in today’s discussions is America’s readiness to restore defense assistance to Ukraine and intelligence support.”
Putin reportedly thanked Trump “for his attention to Ukraine’s settlement” early in his remarks on Thursday. “We believe that this ceasefire should lead to a long-term peace and eliminate the initial causes of this crisis,” Putin said.
Meanwhile, President Trump’s Middle East envoy, Steve Witkoff, arrived in Moscow on Thursday for discussions on the ceasefire plan — a move leaders in Kyiv and Washington hope could pave the way for a broader peace agreement to end Russia’s three-year-long invasion of Ukraine.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt described Witkoff’s visit as part of the administration’s ongoing push to pressure Russia into agreeing to a ceasefire and ending its war. The Kremlin confirmed the scheduled talks, with spokesman Dmitry Peskov stating that U.S. negotiators were on their way but declining to speculate on potential outcomes, saying, “We will not prejudge, we will tell you later.”
Witkoff will meet with Putin on Thursday night in a closed format, according to Russian foreign policy aide Yuri Ushakov.
Putin will not speak with Trump on Thursday, according to Ushakov.
U.S. and Ukrainian officials agreed to a total 30-day ceasefire during talks in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, earlier this week. The ball is now “truly in their court,” Secretary of State Marco Rubio said of Russia following the talks in Jeddah.
This story is developing.
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