Putin Agrees to Ceasefire, Zelensky Accuses Putin of Wanting to Kill More Ukrainians

Putin Agrees to Ceasefire, But on His Terms

Russian President Vladimir Putin has agreed to a temporary ceasefire in Ukraine, but only on his terms. He has demanded concessions from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky that some experts believe would amount to a surrender by Ukraine.

Putin stated that any ceasefire must address the "root causes" of the conflict and lead to a long-term peace. He also insisted that Ukraine would not be allowed to join NATO and that Russia would not return land it has seized.

The Russian president's response to the ceasefire plan has been described as a "no" disguised as a "yes." His conditions for Ukraine are seen as devastating, including a halt to weapons supplies, an end to mobilization, and the surrender of Ukrainian troops in the Kursk region.

to wipe it off the map. He has also warned Ukrainian soldiers in Kursk to "surrender or die."

Ukraine is likely to see Putin's stance as an attempt to buy time while Russian troops squeeze the last Ukrainian troops out of western Russia. Moscow's demands are seen as seeking Ukraine's capitulation.

Ukrainian President Zelensky has accused Putin of being afraid to admit to President Trump that he wants to kill more Ukrainians. He believes that Putin is setting up the idea of silence with prerequisites that will delay or prevent normal decisions.

Zelensky has also stated that Ukraine does not set conditions that make things difficult, unlike Russia. He believes that Russia is the only one who will delay everything and be unconstructive. He believes that Russia needs war and that Putin has stolen years of peace and continues the war day after day.

Zelensky has called for sanctions to force Putin to accept the terms of the ceasefire. He believes that his allies need to put pressure on Putin and introduce sanctions that will help.

President Trump has said that his special envoy, Steve Witkoff, is in serious discussions with Russia about ending the war. Trump has called Putin's statement "very promising" but said it is not complete. He hopes that Russia will do the right thing and has stated that he does not believe Russia will attack US allies.