Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Thursday that he supports a 30-day ceasefire with Ukraine, but stressed it should lead to lasting peace in the region.
“So the idea itself is correct, and we certainly support it," Putin told a news conference in Moscow, according to The Associated Press. “But there are issues that we need to discuss, and I think that we need to discuss it with our American colleagues and partners.”
The proposal was developed during discussions between U.S. and Ukrainian representatives in Saudi Arabia this week.
However, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy appeared to cast doubt on Putin's willingness to sign onto a ceasefire. He called Putin's remarks "predictable and manipulative."
"Putin is afraid to tell President Trump directly that he wants to continue this war and keep killing Ukrainians," Zelenskyy said. "That’s why, in Moscow, they are surrounding the ceasefire idea with such preconditions that it either fails or gets dragged out for as long as possible."
Right now, we have all heard from Russia Putin’s highly predictable and manipulative words in response to the idea of a ceasefire on the front lines—at this moment he is, in fact, preparing to reject it.Of course, Putin is afraid to tell President Trump directly that he wants… pic.twitter.com/SWbYwMGA46
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) March 13, 2025
A delegation of American officials, including President Donald Trump's Middle East envoy, Steve Witkoff, was in Moscow on Thursday in an effort to persuade Russia to agree to a 30-day ceasefire with Ukraine.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who participated in the talks, emphasized that the ceasefire would provide an opportunity for all sides to negotiate an end to the war, though he acknowledged the process would be challenging.
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"I think we're going to have to be flexible and nimble and creative and patient and work hard at it and hopefully turn it into something that's concrete," Rubio said.
The war in Ukraine began in February 2022 when Russia launched a full-scale invasion.
Despite the potential ceasefire, fighting has escalated this week.
Russia claims to have recaptured Sudzha, a key Ukrainian operational hub in Kursk, just hours after President Vladimir Putin visited the region.
Meanwhile, Ukrainian officials reported Wednesday that Russian missile strikes killed at least five civilians. The attacks came one day after Ukrainian strikes inside Russia.
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