Russia agrees in principle with the proposal of a ceasefire with Ukraine, according to officials representing the nation. But it wants to discuss the terms.
That position marks a shift in Russia’s attitude. In the past, Russian President Vladimir Putin rejected a break in hostilities. He claimed it would benefit only Ukraine and its Western allies by letting them replenish their arsenals.
The United States on Tuesday lifted its March 3 suspension of military aid for Ukraine as the receiving country signaled that it was open to a ceasefire. Senior U.S. and Ukrainian officials have made progress during talks in Saudi Arabia on how to stop the fighting.
An envoy sent by U.S. President Donald Trump arrived in Moscow on Thursday. Steve Witkoff initiated talks on an American-proposed 30-day ceasefire. Ukraine had already accepted the terms.
Speaking later to reporters in the Kremlin, Putin’s foreign affairs adviser, Yuri Ushakov, said that the ceasefire would “give us nothing.” Ushakov says Moscow wants a “long-term peaceful settlement that takes into account Moscow’s interests and concerns.”
Putin’s key goals remain what he declared when he launched the full-scale invasion in 2022. He wants Ukraine to renounce joining NATO and to sharply cut its army. He seeks to protect Russian language and culture to keep Ukraine in Moscow’s orbit. On top of that, he now wants Kyiv to withdraw its forces from the four regions Moscow has seized but doesn’t fully control.
Russian officials also have said that any peace deal should involve unfreezing Russian assets in the West and lifting other U.S. and European Union sanctions. The Trump administration has put potential sanctions relief on the table.
Putin also wants to “remove the root causes of the crisis.” That’s a reference to the Kremlin’s demand to roll back a NATO military buildup near Russian borders. Russia describes it as a major threat to its security.
The Trump administration observes that Ukraine’s hopes of joining NATO are unlikely to be realized. It suggests Ukraine probably will not get back the land that Russia’s army occupies. That amounts to nearly 20% of the country.
Ukraine made a surprise foray into Russia’s Kursk region in August. It sought to draw Moscow’s forces away from their offensive in eastern Ukraine. Ukraine’s daring incursion led to the first occupation of Russian soil by foreign troops since World War II. The move embarrassed the Kremlin.
But that foothold inside Russia has been under intense pressure after a renewed effort by Russian forces, backed by North Korean troops. The Institute for the Study of War is a Washington-based think tank. It assessed late Wednesday that Russian forces regained control of Sudzha, a town in the Kursk region.
Russia’s military has an upper hand in the war. Accepting a truce means abandoning hopes of new gains in Ukraine. But rejecting a ceasefire would prolong war and derail improving relations with the United States.
Pray God will direct the hearts of world leaders to pursue long-term peace.
