KEY POINTS
- Trump and Putin are expected to discuss a Ukraine ceasefire this week
- The US proposed a ceasefire, which Kyiv accepted, but Moscow has yet to agree
- Zelensky claims Russia is stalling talks to strengthen its military position
- G7 leaders urge Russia to accept a ceasefire without conditions
- Putin praises Trump’s diplomatic efforts but insists on “nuances” before agreeing to ceasefire
- Rubio and Lavrov discussed implementation of prior agreements
WASHINGTON/MOSCOW: US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin are expected to speak this week, a senior American envoy said on Sunday, as Washington and Kyiv’s European allies urge Moscow to accept a ceasefire in Ukraine.
Trump’s envoy for the Ukraine war, Steve Witkoff, who recently met Putin for several hours, told CNN in a televised interview that he believed “the two presidents are going to have a really good and positive discussion this week.”
The expected talks follow the United States’ proposal for a ceasefire after negotiations in Saudi Arabia, which Kyiv has accepted.
However, Moscow has yet to agree, citing multiple conditions and raising “serious questions” about the initiative.
The Russian foreign ministry confirmed that US Secretary of State Marco Rubio had recently spoken with his Russian counterpart, Sergei Lavrov, regarding “concrete aspects of the implementation of understandings” reached during a US-Russia summit in Saudi Arabia last month.
The Kremlin, however, made no mention of accepting the ceasefire proposal.
Ukraine accuses Russia of stalling
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has accused Moscow of prolonging talks to improve its military position before agreeing to any cessation of hostilities.
“Putin cannot exit this war because that would leave him with nothing,” Zelensky said in a series of social media posts on Friday.
“That is why he is now doing everything he can to sabotage diplomacy by setting extremely difficult and unacceptable conditions even before a ceasefire.”
Zelensky further alleged that Putin was “lying about how a ceasefire is supposedly too complicated,” insisting that Russia’s refusal to agree was an attempt to block peace efforts.
Meanwhile, British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, who hosted a virtual summit with Western leaders on Ukraine, accused Putin of “dragging his feet” and said Moscow’s response to the US proposal was inadequate.
“The ‘yes, but’ from Russia is not good enough,” Starmer stated. “We need a stop to these barbaric attacks on Ukraine once and for all.”
Putin praises Trump’s efforts
In Moscow, Putin acknowledged Trump’s diplomatic efforts, saying that the US leader was “doing everything” to restore US-Russia relations, which he claimed had been damaged under the previous American administration.
“We know that the new administration headed by President Trump is doing everything to restore at least something of what was basically destroyed,” Putin told Russian security officials.
Putin also responded to Trump’s appeal to spare the lives of what the US President described as “thousands” of surrounded Ukrainian soldiers.
The Russian leader said he would heed the request if the troops surrendered, although Kyiv has denied any large-scale encirclement of its forces.
Ukraine’s armed forces issued a statement refuting claims of an encirclement in Kursk, describing them as “false and fabricated.”
While expressing cautious optimism, Putin said Russia had several “nuances” that needed to be addressed before agreeing to a ceasefire.
“The idea of a ceasefire is right and we support it… but there are nuances,” he said on Thursday.
His conditions for peace were described by Zelensky as “manipulative” and a deliberate attempt to delay diplomacy.
US and allies urge for resolution
The White House maintains that the negotiations represent the closest point to peace since the war began.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said the talks between Putin and Witkoff in Moscow were “productive,” adding that Trump had been “putting pressure on Putin and the Russians to do the right thing.”
At the G7 summit in Quebec, Canadian Foreign Minister Mélanie Joly said all member states supported the US proposal for a ceasefire.
“We are now studying and looking at Russian reactions, so ultimately the ball is now in Russia’s court when it comes to Ukraine,” Joly stated.
UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy said that G7 members were united in calling for a ceasefire “without conditions.”
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio also reiterated that any resolution must come through negotiations. “The only way to end this war is through a process of negotiations,” Rubio said following the meeting.
