Putin thanks Trump for principles of ceasefire push, but does not say yes

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In an address full of nuance, Russian President Vladimir Putin  on Thursday thanked President Donald Trump for his efforts to end the hostilities in Ukraine, but said he wanted lasting peace over a 30-day ceasefire. 

"The idea itself is correct, and we certainly support it," Putin said in a carefully worded message during a news conference in Moscow. "But there are issues that we need to discuss, and I think that we need to discuss it with our American colleagues and partners."

"We agree with the proposals to halt the fighting, but we proceed from the assumption that the ceasefire should lead to lasting peace and remove the root causes of the crisis," Putin added. 

From left, Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and national security advisor Mike Waltz meet with Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud and Saudi National Security Advisor Mosaad bin Mohammad Al-Aiban, as well as Russian President Vladimir Putin's foreign policy advisor Yuri Ushakov and Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Feb. 18, 2025. (Associated Press)

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Putin was careful not to directly say no to the 30-day ceasefire deal Ukraine agreed with earlier this week, but he also suggested there were too many variables to be discussed, like what happens to the Ukrainian troops in Russia's Kursk region, which he said will be fully surrounded in the coming days.

The Kremlin chief also claimed a ceasefire would only benefit Ukraine as it would allow Kyiv to mobilize and rearm.

"In these conditions, I believe it would be good for the Ukrainian side to secure a ceasefire for at least 30 days," Putin said.

The Russian president's comments echoed ones issued by his top aide earlier in the day when Yuri Ushakov told a Russian reporter, "Our position about this is that it’s nothing other than a temporary breathing space for Ukrainian forces and nothing else." 

"We believe that our goal is a long-term peaceful normalization – we are striving for this," he added. "Our concerns are known. No one needs steps that imitate peaceful actions in this situation."

Ushakov, who met with national security advisor Mike Waltz and Secretary of State Marco Rubio last month in Saudi Arabia, said ultimately Putin would address Moscow’s position on the ceasefire during a press conference later on Thursday. 

The comments came after Ushakov said he spoke with Waltz and as special envoy Steve Witkoff landed in Moscow to further discuss the agreement. 

Russian President Vladimir Putin speaks during a joint news conference with Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko following their talks at the Grand Kremlin Palace in Moscow, Russia, Thursday, March 13, 2025.? (AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko)

Reports on Thursday suggested Russia has put forward its own wishlist items to achieve an end to the fighting, but those demands remain unconfirmed. Previous demands included barring Ukraine from joining NATO and control over the five Ukrainian regions it has illegally seized – only one of which Russia fully occupies.

Ukraine on Tuesday agreed to the 30-day ceasefire following an hours-long meeting with Waltz and Rubio in Saudi Arabia, contingent on the Kremlin’s acceptance of the terms. 

The ceasefire was an attempt to get both sides to lay down their arms so that further negotiations on issues like territory, occupation status, the return of prisoners and the return of abducted Ukrainian children could then be hashed out. 

The State Department did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital's questions. 

Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and national security advisor Mike Waltz are interviewed in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Feb. 18, 2025. (Reuters/Evelyn Hockstein/Pool)

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Russia ramped up its barrage of missile and drone attacks after the U.S. paused military aid and intelligence sharing after Trump suggested he didn’t believe Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy was "serious" about peace. 

The comments came following an Oval Office blow-up when Zelenskyy refused to sign a mineral deal without security guarantees from the U.S. 

Vice President JD Vance accused the Ukrainian president of being "disrespectful."

But following the successful talks with Ukraine in Jeddah this week, the U.S. immediately lifted its aid and intelligence pause. 

"Ukraine is committed to moving quickly toward peace, and we are prepared to do our part in creating all of the conditions for a reliable, durable, and decent peace," Zelenskyy said in a post on X Thursday. "I thank our teams for the fact that military aid and intelligence sharing resumed.

"Ukraine was ready for an air and sea ceasefire, but the U.S. proposed extending it to land. Ukraine welcomes this proposal," he added.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy speaks during a press conference at the Ukraine peace summit in Obbürgen, Switzerland, on June 16, 2024. (AP Photo/Laurent Cipriani)

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Zelenskyy said Putin’s thus far silence on the ceasefire proposal "once again demonstrates that Russia seeks to prolong the war and postpone peace for as long as possible." 

"We hope that U.S. pressure will be sufficient to compel Russia to end the war," he added.