Kremlin: Russia Gets No Profit From US Proposal For Ceasefire In Ukraine

Russian President Vladimir Putin/PHOTO via Instagram @russian_kremlin

JAKARTA - Russian President Vladimir Putin's foreign policy assistant said he had told Washington the 30-day ceasefire proposed by the United States to stop the war in Ukraine would only give Kyiv troops much-needed rest time on the battlefield.

Russia's progress along the front lines since mid-2024 and US President Donald Trump's efforts to reach a peace agreement to end the conflict in Ukraine raised concerns that Kyiv, backed by the West, could lose the war.

Trump's special envoy for the Middle East, Steve Witkoff, arrived in Moscow on Thursday, March 13 for talks.

Russian officials said US security adviser Mike Waltz provided details on the idea of a ceasefire on Wednesday and Russia was ready to discuss it.

Trump said at the White House he hoped the Kremlin would approve US proposals for a 30-day ceasefire that Ukraine says he will support.

Yuri Ushakov, a former ambassador to Washington who spoke on behalf of Putin on major foreign policy issues, told Russian media he had spoken to Waltz on Wednesday to outline Russia's position on the ceasefire.

"I declare our position that this is nothing but a temporary suspension for the Ukrainian military, nothing more," Ushakov said.

"It didn't give us anything. It just gave Ukraine the opportunity to reunite, gain strength, and continue the same thing," he added.

Ushakov said Moscow's goal was a long-term peaceful settlement "which considers the legitimate interests of our country and our already known concerns."

"In my opinion, no one needs any steps that (only) mimic peaceful actions in this situation," he said.

Asked if Russia rejected US proposals, Ushakov, who has served with Putin in the Kremlin since 2012, said the president was likely to speak to the media on Thursday and outline Russia's position in more detail.

The statement from senior Kremlin officials showed Putin, Russia's supreme leader since 1999, thinking Russia's progress on the battlefield in Ukraine and in western Russia contributed greatly to peace negotiations.

It is unclear how Trump will react, after saying hope for Moscow to agree to a ceasefire to end "blood spill" and that in his first term he was tougher on Russia than any other president.

"I can do things that will be very bad for Russia," Trump said.

"I don't want to do that because I want to get peace. I want to see peace and we'll see. But in terms of finance, yes, we can do very bad things for Russia. It will be very devastating for Russia," Trump said.