Putin says he has ‘reservations’ about 30-day ceasefire proposal as US envoy arrives in Moscow

By Lauren Kent, Anna Chernova, Daria Tarasova-Markina, Ivana Kottasová, Katharina Krebs and Matthew Chance, CNN

(CNN) — Russian President Vladimir Putin said at his Thursday news conference he has “reservations” about a potential 30-day ceasefire in the Ukraine war, saying it’s not clear how the situation would develop in Kursk and elsewhere if a ceasefire was implemented.

Putin lauded the US proposal as “great and correct” and said Russia supports it in theory, but there are many things that still need to be discussed. The comments come as American special envoy Steve Witkoff arrived in Moscow to brief Kremlin officials on the peace plan, with the Trump administration emphasizing that the ball is now in Russia’s court.

The United States and Ukraine held talks in Saudi Arabia earlier this week, in which Kyiv accepted proposals for a 30-day US-backed ceasefire covering the entire frontline.

“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 told reporters at a news conference after holding talks with Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko.

It’s not the first time Putin has urged eliminating what he calls the “root causes” of the war; the Kremlin has previously claimed the current Ukrainian government is part of the root cause. Russia first invaded Ukraine in 2014 and launched a full-scale invasion in 2022.

Putin went on to raise many questions about a potential ceasefire, including how it would be verified, who would give the orders to cease hostilities and what would happen in Russia’s Kursk region, where Ukraine is still occupying some territory.

“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 questioned.

Putin said earlier that Kursk “is completely under our control and the group that invaded our territory was completely isolated.”

He went on to question how the Ukrainian side would use the 30-day truce, adding: “How will other issues be resolved along the entire contact line, which is almost 2,000 kilometers (1,240 miles)?”

Earlier, a Russian presidential aide cast doubt on a US ceasefire proposal for Ukraine. Kremlin aide Yuriy Ushakov said Thursday that 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. “We believe that our goal is a long-term peaceful settlement. That is what we are striving for.”

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov was quick to add that Ushakov’s remarks on a temporary truce should not be seen as a Russian rejection of the US proposal. Peskov told CNN that Moscow was awaiting further, direct information on the proposal before making a decision.

Ushakov also claimed ahead of Thursday’s talks in Moscow 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.”

Previously, Moscow said it would be unacceptable for troops from NATO countries to be present in Ukraine, even under national flags. On Thursday, Russian foreign ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova went further, rejecting “any” foreign military presence.

“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.”

US President Donald Trump said on Wednesday that the ball is now in Russian President Vladimir Putin’s court in terms of bringing the war in Ukraine to a halt.

“We’re going to have to see. It’s up to Russia now,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office, as he declined to comment on whether he has a meeting scheduled with the Russian leader.

Meanwhile, the Russian military said Thursday it had recaptured Sudzha, the largest town that Ukraine has once occupied in the Kursk region, threatening Kyiv’s sole territorial bargaining chip amid pressure to negotiate an end to the war.

Its recapture would represent a major symbolic victory for Russia. Although Sudzha is a small place, with a population of about 5,000 people before Ukraine’s incursion, it was one of the only key towns still held by Ukraine.

CNN’s Matthew Chance and Jennifer Hansler contributed to this report.

This is a developing story and will be updated.

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