US optimism on Ukraine settlement justified – Kremlin
Moscow’s position on a potential ceasefire in the Ukraine conflict suggests that Washington’s “cautious optimism” on a peace agreement is justified, Russian presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov has said.
Earlier this week, the US and Ukraine released a joint statement proposing a 30-day ceasefire following a meeting between delegations from the two countries in Saudi Arabia. On Thursday, US special envoy Steve Witkoff traveled to Moscow to formally present the details of the initiative to Russian officials.
At a press conference later that day, Russian President Vladimir Putin called the idea of a ceasefire “a good one” but pointed to a number of issues that would have to be addressed beforehand. US President Donald Trump’s national security adviser, Mike Waltz, later said Washington has “some cautious optimism” that a truce could be reached soon.
Commenting on Friday, Peskov emphasized that Putin had expressed “solidarity with Trump’s position,” meaning that there are “certainly reasons to be cautiously optimistic.” However, the spokesman stressed that certain questions still need to be discussed regarding the proposal.
In his speech, Putin stated that a monitoring system would have to be put in place in order to ensure the ceasefire. Moscow would also need a number of assurances, including guarantees that Ukraine would not use the pause to conduct mobilization, train soldiers and receive additional weapons, the president said.
He pointed out that Russian troops are currently advancing across the entire front line, meaning that a truce could significantly disrupt ongoing operations.
He also called to address the issue of the Ukrainian troops who had invaded Russia’s Kursk Region last year and have recently been encircled by Russian troops. “Are we supposed to let them out after they committed mass war crimes against civilians?” Putin questioned.
Moscow has indicated that these issues will likely be discussed with Washington during future contacts, the importance of which is recognized by both sides, according to Peskov.
