Russian President Vladimir Putin has expressed support for a U.S.-proposed ceasefire in Ukraine but insisted on several clarifications and conditions, raising doubts about an immediate resolution to the conflict. Speaking at the Kremlin following talks with Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, Putin said, "We agree with the proposals to cease hostilities. The idea itself is correct, and we certainly support it. But we proceed from the fact that this cessation should be such that it would lead to long-term peace and would eliminate the original causes of this crisis."

The war, which began with Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, has resulted in hundreds of thousands of casualties, displaced millions, and devastated cities, escalating tensions between Moscow and the West. While Putin’s remarks appeared to signal goodwill toward Washington, he also listed multiple issues requiring clarification, casting uncertainty over a swift peace deal.

U.S. President Donald Trump welcomed Putin’s comments, calling them "very promising" and expressing hope that Russia would "do the right thing." He revealed that his special envoy, Steve Witkoff, was engaged in negotiations in Moscow over the U.S. proposal, which Ukraine has already accepted.

Trump emphasized that the outcome of these talks would determine Russia’s willingness to agree to the deal, stating, "Now we're going to see whether or not Russia is there, and if they're not, it'll be a very disappointing moment for the world." However, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy was skeptical of Moscow’s intentions, suggesting that Putin was preparing to reject the ceasefire but was reluctant to convey this directly to Trump.

"That's why in Moscow they are imposing upon the idea of a ceasefire these conditions, so that nothing happens at all, or so that it cannot happen for as long as possible," Zelenskiy said in his nightly address. Kyiv remains firm in rejecting Russia’s demand that it permanently cede territory claimed by Moscow. Russian forces currently control nearly 20% of Ukrainian territory and have been making gains since mid-2024.

Trump confirmed that discussions were also covering territorial issues and the future of Ukraine’s nuclear infrastructure, likely referring to the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, Europe’s largest.

Putin, meanwhile, reiterated that the ceasefire must ensure Ukraine does not use the pause to regroup militarily. "How can we and how will we be guaranteed that nothing like this will happen? How will control (of the ceasefire) be organised?" he asked, raising concerns about the enforceability of any truce.

The U.S. resumed military aid and intelligence sharing with Ukraine earlier this week after Kyiv agreed to support the ceasefire proposal. The Saudi government also reaffirmed its commitment to a political resolution, with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman discussing the matter with Putin by phone.

On the battlefield, Russia has intensified its offensive in the western Russian region of Kursk, where Ukrainian forces had launched a border incursion in August. Putin visited a command post there on Wednesday, wearing a camouflage uniform—an extremely rare move for the former KGB officer. He questioned how a ceasefire would apply to this front, asking, "If we stop hostilities for 30 days, what does that mean? That everyone who is there will leave without a fight?"

Ukraine has lost most of the territory it initially seized in Kursk, now holding less than 200 square kilometers, down from 1,300 square kilometers at its peak, according to Russian military reports.

Meanwhile, the U.S. is preparing to resume shipments of long-range Ground-Launched Small Diameter Bombs (GLSDB) to Ukraine after upgrading them to counter Russian jamming. These munitions, developed jointly by Boeing and SAAB AB, have a range of 161 km (100 miles) and were previously rendered ineffective by Russian electronic warfare tactics.

Nineteen GLSDBs were recently test-fired to assess improvements, and the first shipments could reach the battlefield within days, as stockpiles are already positioned in Europe. The U.S. initially procured the weapons under the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative, spending nearly $33.2 billion on military aid.

While both Moscow and Washington continue to describe the conflict as a proxy war with the potential to escalate into a global crisis, the success of the ceasefire talks remains uncertain, with both sides weighing the conditions and strategic implications of any agreement.