Putin lays out sweeping questions and tough demands about 30-day ceasefire proposal

By Lauren Kent, Anna Chernova, Daria Tarasova-Markina, Katharina Krebs and Jessie Yeung, CNN

(CNN) — Russian President Vladimir Putin questioned the United States-brokered proposal for a ceasefire in the Ukraine war on Thursday, setting forth tough conditions and demanding concessions from Kyiv despite saying he supported a truce in theory.

“We agree with the proposal to cease hostilities but we have to bear in mind that this ceasefire must be aimed at a long-lasting peace and it must look at the root causes of the crisis,” Putin said at a news conference – repeating the Kremlin’s previous claims that the current Ukrainian government is part of the underlying problem.

Russia first invaded Ukraine in 2014 and launched a full-scale invasion in 2022. At the time, Putin demanded that Ukraine never be allowed into NATO, and that the bloc roll back its military footprint in Eastern and Central Europe – which the US and its allies dismissed as non-starters, condemning the invasion as a blatant land grab.

Putin also suggested that Ukraine halt mobilization and any training of its troops, and that other nations stop supplying weapons to Kyiv during the ceasefire – at a time when “Russian troops are advancing on almost all areas of combat contact.”

Though the US idea is “great and correct,” many things still need to be discussed, he said, adding that “maybe” he would call US President Donald Trump.

The news conference came as American special envoy Steve Witkoff arrived in Moscow to brief Kremlin officials on the peace plan. Ukrainian officials had accepted the US proposal for a 30-day ceasefire covering the entire front line after holding talks with US counterparts in Saudi Arabia earlier this week.

Witkoff met with Putin in Moscow late Thursday night, two Trump administration officials told CNN. The meeting lasted several hours and stretched into early Friday morning, the officials said. Witkoff left Russia shortly after the meeting wrapped.

The officials provided no detail on the substance of the meeting. However, Trump national security adviser Mike Waltz told Fox News’ Sean Hannity that “We do have some cautious optimism.” The interview took place after the meeting between Witkoff and Putin ended.

Putin sent “additional signals” to Trump through Witkoff, the Kremlin said on Friday. “Additional information was provided to the Russian side. Putin also passed information and additional signals to President Trump through Witkoff,” Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told reporters in a conference call.

Meanwhile, Putin’s Thursday comments quickly drew condemnation from Kyiv, with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky accusing the Russian leader of dragging out the negotiations rather than rejecting the deal completely.

“Putin, of course, is afraid to tell President Trump directly that he wants to continue this war, that he wants to kill Ukrainians,” he said, criticizing Putin’s response as “very manipulative.”

Later on Thursday, Trump called Putin’s response “promising” but not complete.

“I’d love to meet with them or talk to him, but we have to get it over with fast. You know, every day, people are being killed,” he said in the Oval Office, adding that it will be a “very disappointing moment for the world” if Russia does not agree to the ceasefire.

He also said the US has been discussing with Ukraine what land would be kept and lost in any final deal. “So, a lot of the details of a final agreement have actually been discussed,” he said.

Russian officials take harder line

Putin raised a host of questions echoed by other Russian officials, some of whom took a stronger stance against the proposed ceasefire.

The concerns Putin raised included what would happen in Russia’s western Kursk region, where Ukraine occupies some territory; how the ceasefire would be verified; and how Kyiv would use the 30-day truce.

“What will we do with this area in the Kursk region – if we stop military actions for 30 days, does this mean that everyone who is there will leave without a fight? Should we release them from there after they have committed a lot of crimes against civilians?” Putin said, though he’d also said earlier that Kursk was back under Russian control and Ukrainian troops were “completely isolated.”

Earlier on Thursday, Kremlin aide Yuriy Ushakov said Moscow doesn’t want a temporary ceasefire, claiming it would give a break to the Ukrainian army. Ushakov said he explained Russia’s stance to US National Security Adviser Michael Waltz in a Wednesday phone call.

“(I) outlined our position that this is nothing more than a temporary respite for the Ukrainian military and nothing more,” Ushakov said in an interview with Russian state media, pouring cold water on the proposal before Thursday’s talks began.

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov was quick to clarify that Ushakov’s remarks should not be seen as a Russian rejection of the US proposal, and that Moscow was awaiting further information before making a decision.

Ushakov also claimed that “the Americans and we think that there can be no talk about NATO in the context of the Ukrainian settlement and in the context of Ukraine’s future.”

Russian foreign ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova went further, saying on Thursday there must not be “any” foreign military presence in Ukraine.

“For us, it is absolutely unacceptable to deploy units of the armed forces of other states in Ukraine under any flag, whether it be a foreign contingent, military bases, or some peacekeeping operations,” Zakharova said, adding that Russia would respond with “with all available means.”

When US Secretary of State Marco Rubio was asked Wednesday about the possibility of European troops acting as peacekeepers, the top US diplomat responded: “There’s different ways to construct a deterrent on the ground.”

Meanwhile, the Russian military said Thursday it had recaptured Sudzha, the largest town that Ukraine once occupied in Kursk, threatening Kyiv’s sole territorial bargaining chip amid pressure to negotiate an end to the war, in what would represent a symbolic victory for the Kremlin.

This story has been updated. CNN’s Matthew Chance, Jennifer Hansler and Alayna Treene contributed reporting.

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