President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia on Thursday didn’t rule out a U.S. and Ukrainian proposal for a monthlong cease-fire, however he set down quite a few circumstances that may most definitely delay any truce — or may make one inconceivable to realize.
Mr. Putin’s feedback throughout a information convention highlighted the steadiness he was attempting to strike, exuding confidence in Russia’s place on the battlefield whereas in search of to proceed talks with the USA and keep away from upsetting President Trump. The U.S. president, having antagonized the nation’s allies and realigned American overseas coverage in Russia’s favor, has emerged as a key geopolitical partner for Mr. Putin.
In sharp remarks later within the day, President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine mentioned the Russian chief set so many circumstances “that nothing will work out in any respect or that it’ll not work out for so long as attainable.”
Mr. Putin’s feedback got here earlier than he was to satisfy with Steve Witkoff, Mr. Trump’s Center East envoy, to debate the cease-fire proposal that Ukraine had already agreed to. As of early Friday Moscow time, the Kremlin had not commented on how the assembly went. However the Kremlin mentioned Mr. Putin had additionally spoken by cellphone with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the de facto chief of Saudi Arabia, about Ukraine.
Mr. Putin’s remarks additionally got here as Russia saved up its momentum within the key battle in the Kursk region of Russia, the place Moscow’s forces appeared near pushing Ukraine out of the territory it seized final summer season. Such a improvement would cut back Kyiv’s leverage in future peace talks.
“The concept itself is the correct one, and we positively assist it,” Mr. Putin mentioned, referring to the cease-fire proposal. “However there are questions that we have to talk about, and I feel that we have to discuss them via with our American colleagues and companions.”
Mr. Putin steered that his circumstances would come with limits to Ukraine’s capacity to mobilize extra troops and import weaponry throughout a cease-fire — restrictions that may put Kyiv at a deeper drawback if the preventing restarted.
Mr. Putin’s feedback had been the primary in regards to the cease-fire supply that emerged from negotiations between the United States and Ukraine in Saudi Arabia this week. They steered that the Russian chief considered that proposal as simply part of a broader negotiation between Washington and Moscow, and that he was keen to point out that he was partaking with Mr. Trump’s efforts to finish the conflict that Mr. Putin started together with his full-scale invasion three years in the past.
Mr. Putin mentioned he may “have a name with President Trump and discuss it over with him.” When requested in a while Thursday if he would converse with the Russian president, Mr. Trump mentioned he would “love to satisfy” and discuss with him.
“We’d prefer to see a cease-fire from Russia,” Mr. Trump informed reporters whereas assembly with the NATO secretary normal, Mark Rutte, within the Oval Workplace.
Mr. Trump mentioned the USA had mentioned with Ukraine attainable concessions as a part of a peace settlement. “We’ve been discussing with Ukraine land and items of land that may be saved and misplaced, and all the different parts of a remaining settlement,” Mr. Trump mentioned, including, “A whole lot of the main points of a remaining settlement have truly been mentioned.”
Mr. Putin seems eager to remain on Mr. Trump’s good facet, given the geopolitical victories that the U.S. president has already delivered for the Kremlin.
However Mr. Putin’s feedback additionally confirmed that the Russian chief noticed his forces as having the higher hand on the battlefield and that it will be to Russia’s benefit to attract out the negotiations.
He mentioned on Thursday that Russia would proceed to insist on a peace deal that addressed the “unique causes” of the conflict — suggesting that his push for main Western concessions, similar to a discount of NATO’s presence in Japanese Europe, hadn’t modified, although it wasn’t clear if he would make them a stipulation for a monthlong cease-fire.
Mr. Zelensky known as Mr. Putin’s response to the cease-fire proposal “very predictable, very manipulative.”
“Putin, in fact, is afraid to inform President Trump straight that he needs to proceed this conflict, needs to kill Ukrainians,” he mentioned in his night tackle.
Mr. Putin was easy in declaring {that a} fast truce can be higher for Ukraine than for Russia.
“In these circumstances, it appears to me that it will be superb for the Ukrainian facet if there have been a cease-fire, even for 30 days,” Mr. Putin mentioned. “And we’re in favor of it. However there are nuances.”
He then listed these “nuances,” beginning with the Ukrainian forces nonetheless in Kursk. He mentioned that Russia wouldn’t permit these troops to peacefully withdraw and that the Ukrainian management may as an alternative get them organized “to easily give up.”
Ukraine shocked Russia in August with a cross-border incursion into Kursk, seizing a number of hundred sq. miles of territory.
However Russia’s Protection Ministry mentioned on Thursday that the nation’s army had regained full management of Sudzha, the main town in Kursk that Ukraine had seized. Ukrainian officers haven’t confirmed a retreat from the city, the place Wednesday evening Kyiv’s army reported fierce preventing. If confirmed, such a retreat would depart solely small pockets of Russian land alongside the border underneath Ukrainian management.
Mr. Putin additionally steered he may demand that Ukraine’s Western allies halt arms deliveries, and mentioned it was not clear how the cease-fire can be monitored alongside a entrance line of some 700 miles.
“These are all questions demanding very cautious research,” he mentioned.
Whereas Mr. Putin’s circumstances could also be inconceivable for Ukraine to simply accept, he didn’t repeat his onerous demand from final yr {that a} cease-fire would depend on Ukraine’s withdrawing from the four Ukrainian regions that Russia had declared as its personal however didn’t absolutely management.
Nonetheless, Dara Massicot, a Russian army specialist on the Carnegie Endowment for Worldwide Peace, which is predicated in Washington, known as Mr. Putin’s new calls for “very harmful for Ukraine.”
In impact, she argued, Mr. Putin was pushing for a situation by which the West wouldn’t be capable to assist Ukraine rebuild its armed forces whereas Russian factories pumped out new weaponry.
“What Putin mentioned at present implies that the West can not assist Ukraine whereas Russia regenerates,” she mentioned.
Reporting was contributed by Maria Varenikova from Kyiv, Ukraine; Marc Santora from Dnipro, Ukraine; Paul Sonne from Berlin; and Eric Schmitt from Washington.
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