Russian President Vladimir Putin has expressed agreement with the concept of a ceasefire in Ukraine but highlighted the need for further discussions on its terms. He also outlined a series of strict conditions that must be met before peace can be achieved.
Putin was responding to a proposed 30-day ceasefire, which Ukraine accepted earlier this week after negotiations with the United States. However, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky criticized Putin’s reaction, calling it “manipulative” and urging for additional sanctions against Russia.
Meanwhile, the U.S. imposed new sanctions on Russia’s oil, gas, and banking sectors, further increasing pressure on Moscow.
Russian authorities announced that Putin was scheduled to discuss the ceasefire on Thursday evening with Steve Witkoff, a special envoy of U.S. President Donald Trump, who had arrived in Moscow earlier that day. However, it remains unclear whether the meeting actually took place. On Friday, Russian state media cited air traffic monitoring service Flightradar, which reported that the aircraft believed to have transported Witkoff had already departed from Moscow. Neither Washington nor Moscow have provided any official statements on the matter.
On Thursday night and into Friday morning, both Russian and Ukrainian forces reported enemy drone attacks. Ukraine reported that seven people, including children, were wounded in the northeastern city of Kharkiv. In Russia, authorities confirmed a massive fire at an oil facility in the southern city of Tuapse.
At a news conference in Moscow on Thursday, Putin discussed the ceasefire plan, stating, “The idea is right—and we support it—but there are questions that we need to discuss.” He emphasized that any ceasefire must lead to “an enduring peace and remove the root causes of this crisis.”
“We need to negotiate with our American colleagues and partners,” Putin added. “Maybe I’ll have a call with Donald Trump.”
The Russian president acknowledged that a temporary truce could be beneficial for Ukraine, saying, “It will be good for the Ukrainian side to achieve a 30-day ceasefire. We are in favor of it, but there are nuances.”
One of the major points of contention for Russia is the situation in its western Kursk region. Putin pointed out that Ukrainian forces had launched an incursion there in August, capturing some areas. He claimed that Russia had regained full control of Kursk and that Ukrainian troops in the region were now “isolated.”
“They are trying to leave, but we are in control. Their equipment has been abandoned,” he stated. “There are two options for Ukrainians in Kursk—surrender or die.”
A day earlier, Ukraine’s top commander, Oleksandr Syrskyi, said Ukrainian troops would maintain defensive positions in Kursk as long as necessary, despite mounting pressure from Russian forces.
During his press conference, Putin also raised concerns about how the ceasefire would be implemented. “How will those 30 days be used? For Ukraine to mobilize? Rearm? Train people? Or none of that? Then a question—how will that be controlled?” he asked.
“Who will give the order to end the fighting? At what cost? Who decides who has broken any possible ceasefire, over 2,000km? All those questions need meticulous work from both sides. Who polices it?”
Zelensky, in his nightly video address, accused Putin of preparing to reject the ceasefire in practice, despite not explicitly saying so. “Putin, of course, is afraid to tell President Trump directly that he wants to continue this war, wants to kill Ukrainians,” he said.
He further argued that the Russian president had placed so many conditions on the ceasefire that it was unlikely to succeed. “The Russian leader has set so many preconditions that nothing will work out at all,” Zelensky said.
Putin’s comments and Zelensky’s response have highlighted the deep divisions between the two sides on how to proceed.
Ukraine advocates for a two-step approach: first, an immediate ceasefire, followed by discussions on a long-term peace agreement. However, Russia insists that both issues should be resolved together in a single, comprehensive deal. Neither side appears willing to compromise at this stage.
Ukraine hopes to pressure Russia into agreeing to a ceasefire by portraying it as an unwilling participant in peace talks. Meanwhile, Russia views the situation as an opportunity to raise its broader concerns, including NATO expansion and Ukraine’s sovereignty.
This situation presents a challenge for Donald Trump, who has stated that he wants a swift resolution to the war. He has repeatedly indicated that he aims to bring the conflict to an end in a matter of days.
However, Putin does not appear inclined to cooperate with Trump’s timeline.
Speaking at the White House after Putin’s remarks, Trump said he would “love” to meet the Russian president and expressed hope that Russia would “do the right thing” by agreeing to the proposed 30-day ceasefire.
“We’d like to see a ceasefire from Russia,” Trump stated.
Earlier in the day, during a meeting in the Oval Office with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, Trump told reporters that he had already discussed specific details with Ukraine regarding a potential peace agreement.
“We’ve been discussing with Ukraine land and pieces of land that would be kept and lost, and all of the other elements of a final agreement,” Trump explained. “A lot of the details of a final agreement have actually been discussed.”
Regarding Ukraine’s possible NATO membership, Trump remarked, “Everybody knows what the answer to that is.”
In response to Russia’s continued aggression, the U.S. expanded sanctions on Russian oil and gas, making it harder for other countries to purchase Russian energy by restricting access to U.S. payment systems.
Earlier on Thursday, Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov had already dismissed the U.S.-backed ceasefire proposal.
Meanwhile, on Wednesday, the Kremlin released a video purportedly showing Putin visiting Russia’s Kursk region, wearing military fatigues. Later, Russian officials announced they had recaptured the key town of Sudzha.
The war, which began with Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, has resulted in Russia occupying approximately 20% of Ukrainian territory.
According to data analyzed by the BBC, more than 95,000 Russian soldiers have been killed in the conflict. However, experts believe the actual number is significantly higher.
The Russian military has not officially disclosed its casualty figures since September 2022, when it reported 5,937 deaths.
Ukraine last provided an official death toll in December 2024, when Zelensky stated that 43,000 Ukrainian soldiers and officers had been killed. However, Western analysts consider this figure to be an underestimation.