The Kremlin said on Wednesday that it would wait for an official briefing from the United States before commenting on a proposed 30-day ceasefire in Ukraine, following high-stakes talks between U.S. and Ukrainian officials in Saudi Arabia.
The ceasefire offer, reportedly accepted by Ukraine, was presented during more than eight hours of negotiations in Jeddah on Tuesday. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the proposal, which includes a temporary halt to hostilities, would now be relayed to Moscow.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters that Russia would not make an immediate decision on the ceasefire until it had received details from Washington. He also did not rule out the possibility of a phone conversation between Russian President Vladimir Putin and U.S. President Donald Trump, stating that such a call could be organized quickly if necessary.
“A briefing from Washington is needed before we can evaluate the proposal,” Peskov said. “Until then, we will not speculate on its acceptability to Russia.”
A senior Russian official, speaking anonymously to Reuters, suggested that Moscow would demand specific guarantees before agreeing to any ceasefire.
“It is difficult for Putin to agree to this in its current form,” the source said. “Putin has a strong position because Russia is advancing.”
Russia currently controls nearly a fifth of Ukrainian territory, including key regions in the east and south. Though Ukraine briefly seized a small section of western Russia in August as a bargaining chip, its hold there has weakened, according to both open-source intelligence and Russian military estimates.
The United States’ decision to push for a ceasefire marks a dramatic shift in its Ukraine policy. As part of the agreement reached in Jeddah, Washington will resume military aid and intelligence sharing with Ukraine—support that had been suspended earlier amid growing internal political debate in the U.S.
The decision to re-engage militarily with Kyiv represents a reversal of previous policy under the Trump administration, which had prioritized opening direct bilateral talks with Moscow in an effort to de-escalate tensions.
Rubio, speaking after the talks, framed the ceasefire proposal as a necessary first step toward a broader diplomatic solution.
“We believe that a temporary cessation of hostilities will provide an opportunity to explore a more lasting resolution to the conflict,” he said. “The U.S. remains committed to Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, but we also recognize the need for pragmatic discussions with all parties involved.”
Despite the proposed ceasefire, Russia continues to make territorial advances. Over the past several months, Russian forces have steadily pushed forward in eastern Ukraine, capitalizing on manpower advantages and an attritional strategy that has worn down Ukrainian defenses.
Putin has little immediate incentive to agree to a ceasefire that does not provide concrete benefits to Russia, particularly as his forces are gaining ground. The Kremlin has long insisted that any peace deal must include Ukrainian recognition of Russian-controlled territories and the lifting of Western sanctions—terms Kyiv has consistently rejected.
“If Russia agrees to a ceasefire now, it will want guarantees that Ukraine will not use the pause to regroup and rearm,” said military analyst Dmitry Trenin, a former Russian diplomat. “Otherwise, it would just be a tactical mistake.”
The war, which began with Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022, has inflicted catastrophic human and economic costs. Hundreds of thousands of soldiers and civilians have been killed or wounded, while millions of Ukrainians have been displaced. The conflict has also led to the most severe geopolitical crisis between Russia and the West since the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis.
Efforts to broker a ceasefire have repeatedly failed, with both sides entrenched in their positions. Ukraine, backed by Western military aid, has refused to negotiate under conditions that would cede territory to Russia. Moscow, on the other hand, views its battlefield gains as leverage to dictate the terms of any settlement.
Even if the current ceasefire proposal gains traction, experts warn that it is unlikely to lead to a lasting peace unless deeper political and territorial issues are addressed.
The international community has reacted cautiously to the ceasefire talks. European allies of Ukraine have welcomed the idea of a temporary pause in fighting but remain wary of any deal that might legitimize Russia’s territorial conquests.
“Any ceasefire must not come at the cost of Ukraine’s sovereignty,” said German Chancellor Olaf Scholz. “Russia cannot be rewarded for its aggression.”
Meanwhile, China has maintained its call for diplomatic negotiations, positioning itself as a potential mediator. Beijing has previously proposed its own peace plan, which was met with skepticism by both Kyiv and its Western backers.
For now, all eyes remain on Moscow’s response. If Putin rejects the ceasefire, the war will likely continue along its current trajectory, with Russia pressing its advantage and Ukraine fighting to hold the line with renewed Western support.
If Russia engages in talks, however, it could signal the first real step toward a negotiated end to the war—though what form that might take remains uncertain.
The coming days will be crucial. The U.S. is expected to brief Moscow soon, and if a Putin-Trump call takes place, it could set the stage for further diplomatic maneuvering.
Whether the proposed 30-day ceasefire leads to meaningful negotiations—or simply serves as a brief pause before the next phase of the war—will depend on how much each side is willing to compromise.
For now, the war grinds on, with no clear end in sight.
