Following the arrival of President Donald Trump’s special envoy, Steve Witkoff in Moscow, Russia on Thursday, a new ceasefire agreement has been devised which Moscow is more receptive to. While details are still being negotiated, a number of goals and redlines have already been outlined within numerous statements of geopolitical posturing. The previous 30-day ceasefire agreement which Ukraine had agreed to was not accepted by Russia. President Vladimir Putin will meet with Witkoff Thursday evening to discuss the revised ceasefire agreement.
Western mainstream media is reporting that Putin does not agree to a ceasefire, yet their articles refer to the previous ceasefire the U.K. helped draft. They cite the fact no concrete deal is yet signed, despite it still being in the negotiation phase currently. The original 30-day ceasefire deal had much that Kiev favored, yet contained a number of dealbreakers for Moscow.
“…we agree with the proposals to stop hostilities. But our position is that this ceasefire should lead to a long-term peace and eliminate the initial causes of this crisis,” Putin said. “Now, about Ukraine’s readiness to cease hostilities. On the surface it may look like a decision made by Ukraine under U.S. pressure. In reality, I am absolutely convinced that the Ukrainian side should have insisted on this (ceasefire) from the Americans based on how the situation (on the front line) is unfolding, the realities on the ground.”
President Donald Trump spoke about the ceasefire and concessions Ukraine may have to make. Land and a power plant are on the chopping block and could be ceded to Russia as part of a final peace agreement. Alex Jones predicted that a ceasefire will be in place by Monday unless Dictator Vladimir Zelensky goes insane in the Ukraine.
Putin did state that there are some “nuances” to a ceasefire agreement, by “nuances” he seemed to be referring to unanswered questions and concerns of his.
“First, what are we going to do with this incursion force in Kursk Region? If we stop fighting for 30 days, what does it mean? That everyone who is there will leave without a fight? We should let them go after they committed mass crimes against civilians? Or will the Ukrainian leadership order them to lay down their arms. Simply surrender. How will this work? It is not clear,” Putin said Thursday. “How will other issues be resolved on all the lines of contact? This is almost 2,000 kilometers. As you know, Russian troops are advancing almost along the entire front. And there are ongoing military operations to surround rather large groups of enemy forces. These 30 days — how will they be used? To continue forced mobilization in Ukraine? To receive more arms supplies? To train newly mobilized units? Or will none of this happen? How will the issues of control and verification be resolved? How can we be guaranteed that nothing like this will happen? How will the control be organized? I hope that everyone understands this at the level of common sense. These are all serious issues. Who will give orders to stop hostilities? And what is the price of these orders? Can you imagine? Almost 2,000 kilometers. Who will determine where and who broke the potential ceasefire? Who will be blamed? These are all questions that demand a thorough examination from both sides.”
Putin said that he wants a peaceful end to the war and is interested to speaking with President Donald Trump.
“I think we need to work with our American partners. Maybe I will speak to President Trump. But we support the idea of ending this conflict with peaceful means,” Putin said.
There is currently a back-and-forth of negotiating between the two superpowers.
A U.S. official decided today is a good day to talk tough.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told CNBC News in an interview on Thursday that the U.S. is ready to impose economic sanctions on Russia should it not follow a peace plan.
”If we just take a kind of a scale zero to 10… the Biden administration sanctions on Russia were probably a three, on the way out of the door they took them to a 6,” Bessent said. ”We wouldn’t hesitate to take them up to 10.”
Interestingly, Moscow wants Trump’s special envoy to the Ukraine war, Keith Kellogg, excluded from the ceasefire talks as Russia sees him being too close to Ukraine.
While meeting with NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte at the White House on Thursday, Trump said that he does not expect Russia to attack countries in Western Europe should the Ukraine war end.
”Nope, I don’t see that happening,” he said. ”I think when this gets done, it’s done. They’re going to all want to go home and rest.”
Some in Russia see a post-war Ukraine as a potential time bomb.
”Under any circumstances, Ukraine must not pose a threat to Russia,” Yevgeny Primakov, the head of the Russian agency for international cooperation said Thursday. ”This means we must prevent any risks of revanchism, which logically entails that Ukraine should not maintain offensive military capabilities or embrace an aggressive Nazi ideology aimed against Russia.”