Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Friday that Russian President Vladimir Putin met with U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff to discuss details of a U.S.-proposed 30-day ceasefire agreement in Ukraine and asked him to convey Moscow's views to Washington. During the meeting, Putin emphasized that any ceasefire agreement must be carefully clarified and confirmed. This highlights Russia's cautious approach to the proposed agreement.
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03-17, 2025Peskov told reporters that Putin asked Witkoff to pass on additional information to U.S. President Donald Trump late on Thursday. This followed Putin's statement at a press conference that he supported a ceasefire in principle, but also raised a series of details that needed to be clarified before an agreement could be reached. Trump said the U.S. had "very good and productive" discussions with Putin the previous day. "There is a very good chance that this horrible, bloody war will finally end," Trump posted on his Truth Social site on Friday morning, expressing optimism about a potential resolution.
Ukraine, facing severe military pressure in some areas of the front lines, has endorsed the ceasefire proposal. Russian forces have gained battlefield advantages, and analysts suggest Putin may be unwilling to rush into a ceasefire agreement while he believes he holds the upper hand. Trump said on Friday that "thousands upon thousands" of Ukrainian soldiers were surrounded by Russian forces, adding that he had "strongly urged" Putin to spare their lives. Hours later, Putin told the National Security Council that Moscow would be willing to do so if Ukrainian troops in the Kursk region laid down their arms and surrendered.
The General Staff of Ukraine denied on Friday that its forces in Kursk were surrounded by Moscow's troops, saying any such reports were "a fabrication by the Russians aimed at political manipulation and putting pressure on Ukraine and its partners." Peskov said that a phone call between Putin and Trump could be arranged to address outstanding ceasefire issues after Witkoff conveyed the information to Washington. "Both sides understand that such a call is needed," Peskov said. "Of course, there are some reasons for cautious optimism," Peskov said of the ceasefire proposal. "There is still a lot of work to be done, but the president has expressed solidarity with President Trump's position."
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Friday that he was also "cautiously optimistic." Speaking to reporters at the conclusion of a G7 meeting in Canada, Rubio said Trump administration officials planned to brief Witkoff over the weekend on his talks with Putin and the next steps. The talks with Putin did not appear to immediately result in the kind of ceasefire agreement that Rubio said the Americans would press Putin for. But, "We certainly feel we've at least taken some steps towards ending this war," Rubio said. U.S. officials said Washington plans to discuss technical issues related to a possible ceasefire next week. Given the scope of issues on the table and the vast differences between what Moscow and Kyiv want, it could take weeks or months before the guns fall silent.
Meanwhile, Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said Russian air defenses shot down four Ukrainian drones targeting the Russian capital early Friday. One of them damaged the roof of an apartment building a few kilometers from the Kremlin. Emergency officials said several other buildings were slightly damaged by drone debris, but there were no casualties. This incident underscores the ongoing tensions and potential for escalation even amidst ceasefire discussions.
