Updated March 13, 2025 at 13:58 PM ET
Russian President Vladimir Putin said Thursday he supported the general idea of a U.S.-backed ceasefire with Ukraine, but he listed a number of conditions that would need to be met.
"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," he said in a news conference.
Putin made the comments as President Trump's special envoy, Steve Witkoff, visited Moscow to discuss a ceasefire plan — more than three years into Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine. It was two days after the U.S. and Ukrainian officials held talks in Saudi Arabia, in which Ukraine agreed "to enact an immediate, interim 30-day ceasefire."
But Putin said a monthlong ceasefire might give Ukraine's forces a a chance to retreat, regroup and rearm just as Russia's army gained the upper hand in the Kursk region, parts of which were captured by Kyiv last year.
"Does that mean Ukraine will use those 30 days to continue forced mobilization, get weapons supplies and prepare its mobilized units?" the Russian president said.
And Putin questioned how such a ceasefire would be enforced.
"Who will give orders to cease hostilities, and what will these orders be worth?" he asked.
Earlier Thursday, Putin's foreign policy adviser, Yuri Ushakov, reiterated demands that Ukraine must recognize Russia's annexation of Crimea and four southeastern regions, withdraw troops from lands claimed by Russia and pledge never to join NATO. Ushakov said he "hopes [the United States] knows our position and wants to believe that they will take it into account as we work together going forward."
Moscow also seeks limits on Ukraine's military, protections for Russian speakers and elections to replace Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
Meanwhile, Russian forces have reclaimed most of the territory lost in last summer's Ukrainian offensive in Russia's Kursk region.
The U.S. restored military aid to Ukraine after ceasefire talks Tuesday in Saudi Arabia. President Trump, pushing for a ceasefire, warned Russia of financial consequences if Putin resists.
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