Vladimir Putin has responded to Trump’s ceasefire proposal for Ukraine. He stated that he “agrees with the proposal” but added that Russia seeks a long-term ceasefire that “addresses the causes of the ‘crisis’ in Ukraine.”
By “crisis,” Putin refers to Russia’s invasion, and by “causes,” he means the removal of Volodymyr Zelensky’s government, the recognition of Russian-occupied territories, and the demilitarization of Ukraine.
In other words, Russia has effectively rejected the ceasefire proposal, and the war continues as before. Now, all eyes are on Trump’s next move, as he previously stated he would “destroy the Russian economy” if Putin did not accept his proposal.
With this Russian stance—after Ukraine had already accepted the ceasefire—Trump’s narrative that Ukraine was unwilling to negotiate peace collapses. Even Marco Rubio, speaking in Saudi Arabia, said that if Russia rejected the deal, the U.S. would finally know who truly does not want peace.