Vladimir Putin said Thursday that he agreed in principle with a U.S. proposal for a 30-day ceasefire with Ukraine, but insisted that any truce should pave the way to lasting peace and solve what he called the “root causes” of the conflict.
The Russian strongman surprised some observers by speaking positively about the month-long ceasefire plan that Ukrainian and U.S. negotiators inked earlier this week in Saudi Arabia, although he gave himself plenty of wiggle room to back out.
“The idea itself is correct, and we certainly support it,” Putin told a news conference in Moscow. “But there are issues that we need to discuss, and I think that we need to discuss it with our American colleagues and partners.”
Putin suggested the truce should not give embattled Ukrainian troops a chance to regroup and must help resolve the issues that led to the war, which likely refers to the Kremlin’s assertions that big chunks of Ukrainian territory rightfully belong to Russia.
“We agree with the proposals to halt the fighting, but we proceed from the assumption that the ceasefire should lead to lasting peace and remove the root causes of the crisis,” Putin said.
He noted the need to develop a mechanism to monitor and control possible breaches. Another issue, Putin said, is whether Ukraine could use the 30-day ceasefire to continue mobilization and rearmament.
“In these conditions, I believe it would be good for the Ukrainian side to secure a ceasefire for at least 30 days,” he said.
Putin questioned whether Ukrainian troops that have invaded the Russian border district of Kursk would be allowed to leave peacefully.
“Will all those who are there come out without a fight?” Putin asked.
Putin praised President Trump “for paying so much attention to the settlement in Ukraine.”
Russia has said it will not accept peacekeepers from any NATO members to monitor a prospective truce in Ukraine as European leaders have proposed.
A ceasefire would mark a major diplomatic victory for Trump, who has scrambled the conflict by blaming the war on Ukraine and sparring with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in a remarkable White House shouting match.
Trump ordered a suspension of U.S. aid and intelligence sharing with Kyiv but later reversed that decision after Ukraine agreed to the U.S.-proposed ceasefire.
Russia invaded Ukraine three years ago and has gobbled up big chunks of the Donbas region that had been controlled by pro-Kremlin separatists since 2014. It says four provinces of Ukraine have been annexed by Russia.
Ukraine has repeatedly said it will not give up any of its territory but recently has signaled a willingness to be more flexible.