Russian President Vladimir Putin said Thursday that he tentatively supported the idea of a 30-day ceasefire in Ukraine provided mutually-agreed upon terms are met.
Putin told reporters in a news conference in Moscow that he agreed with the U.S-proposed deal “in principle,” which would halt fighting for 30 days, according to the Associated Press. Putin made the comments just hours before U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff was scheduled to arrive in Russia to further negotiate the terms of the proposal.
“So the idea itself is correct, and we certainly support it,” Putin said during the conference. “But there are issues that we need to discuss, and I think that we need to discuss it with our American colleagues and partners.”
Putin stressed that more safeguards must be put in place to punish potential violations of the ceasefire, while adding that Ukraine could use the 30 days to rearm, according to the AP.
The war has raged on for three years, taking tens of thousands of Ukrainian and Russian lives. So far, the conflict has cost the U.S. over $170 billion in aid.
Initially, peace negotiations headed by the U.S. went up in flames during a heated Oval Office meeting between President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Just days after the incident, Zelenskyy apologized for the incident and reiterated his interest in peace.
Moreover, Trump threatened to sanction and tariff Russia after they launched a massive attack on Ukrainian infrastructure Mar. 7, saying Russia must pursue a ceasefire and “final settlement agreement.”
The Russian Foreign Ministry did not immediately respond to the Daily Caller News Foundation’s request for comment.
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