Putin's Pause: Questions on Ukraine Ceasefire

Russia's President Putin has some doubts about a 30-day ceasefire in Ukraine. He thinks it's a good idea in theory, but he's got a lot of questions. He wants to know how it would work, who would enforce it, and what would happen in the Kursk region. Putin thinks the ceasefire should solve the big problems that started the war, not just stop the fighting for a month. He believes that the Ukrainian government is part of the problem. Russia first invaded Ukraine in 2014 and then again in 2022. Putin also wonders what Ukraine would do during the ceasefire and how other issues along the 2, 000-kilometer frontline would be solved.

The US envoy Steve Witkoff is in Moscow to talk about the peace plan. The US and Ukraine had talks in Saudi Arabia, and Ukraine agreed to the ceasefire. Putin has talked about the root causes of the war before. He thinks the current Ukrainian government is one of them. Russia's presidential aide, Yuriy Ushakov, doesn't want a temporary ceasefire. He thinks it would just give Ukraine's army a break. He also said that Russia and the US agree that NATO shouldn't be involved in Ukraine's future. Russia's foreign ministry spokesperson, Maria Zakharova, said that any foreign military presence in Ukraine is unacceptable. She said Russia would respond with all available means. The US Secretary of State Marco Rubio thinks there are different ways to construct a deterrent on the ground. The US President Donald Trump said it's up to Russia now to end the war. The Russian military said it had recaptured Sudzha, a town in the Kursk region. This could be a big symbolic victory for Russia. It was one of the only key towns still held by Ukraine.

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