Putin aide rejects Trump’s Ukraine ceasefire plan

As U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff enters talks with Russian officials in Moscow on a Trump administration proposal Ukraine has already accepted for a 30-day ceasefire, President Vladimir Putin’s foreign policy adviser, Yuri Ushakov, rejected the idea.

Speaking on Russian state television, Ushakov dismissed a 30-day ceasefire as a mere “breather” for Ukrainian troops, emphasizing Moscow’s preference for substantive peace talks.

Moscow also seeks limits on Ukraine’s military, protections for Russian speakers and elections to replace Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

Meanwhile, Russian forces have reclaimed most of the territory lost in last summer’s Ukrainian offensive in Russia’s Kursk region.

The U.S. restored military aid to Ukraine after ceasefire talks Tuesday in Saudi Arabia. President Trump, pushing for a ceasefire, warned Russia of financial consequences if Putin resists.