Putin Expresses Willingness to Discuss Ceasefire, Comments from State Department

The U.S. authorities have not conducted negotiations with Russian counterparts regarding the cessation of hostilities in Ukraine, the State Department's press service informed RBC. This information is relayed by kommersant.ru.

Yesterday, Reuters reported, citing three Russian officials, that the U.S. rejected Russia's proposal for a ceasefire in Ukraine. “We are committed to the principle of ‘nothing about Ukraine without Ukraine.’ Russia may believe that the way to stop this war is through Washington. That, of course, is not true,” the State Department’s statement said.

The State Department also added that Russia has publicly signaled an interest in ending the conflict, but there are no signs of willingness from Russian authorities to abandon their initial demands. According to sources from Reuters, in 2023, President Vladimir Putin conveyed a message to the U.S. through intermediaries in the Middle East expressing willingness to discuss a ceasefire in Ukraine. However, Russia was not prepared to concede any of the territories it gained during military operations. One of the agency's interlocutors stated that negotiations with the American side collapsed.