Putin Open to Ceasefire, Wants Direct Talks With White House First

Russian President Vladimir Putin says he agrees in principle with the Trump administration’s initial ceasefire proposal, which Ukraine agreed to, but wants further negotiation before he will sign the deal.

The Details: In a TV interview with state-owned Rossiya-1, Putin Aide Yuri Ushakov said Moscow is looking for “a long-term peaceful settlement that takes into account the legitimate interests of our country and our known concerns.” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said, "Putin often does this - he does not say anything directly but does so in a way that practically only delays everything and makes normal decisions impossible."

For Context: The development comes after the Trump administration and Ukraine agreed to a 30-day ceasefire following talks in Saudi Arabia. In recent days, Russian forces have liberated territory in the Kursk region that Ukraine has held since August 2024. In February, Trump administration officials met with Russian officials in Saudi Arabia to open Ukraine dialogue, notably without Ukraine. 

Diplomatic Update: On Thursday, Trump’s Special Envoy to the Middle East, Steve Witkoff, landed in Moscow for ceasefire talks. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said Thursday, “There are certainly reasons to be cautiously optimistic.” The cautious optimism was echoed by Putin, who said the idea of a ceasefire “itself is correct” but “there are issues that need to be discussed.”

How The Media Covered It: Newsweek (Center bias) noted Trump’s hopes for a swift resolution to the conflict because of the death toll and cost to American taxpayers. Russian state-funded RT (Lean Right) highlighted that Russia seeks a long-term resolution considering Moscow's interests and concerns. The Washington Post (Lean Left) described the negotiations as “complex” and said, “hundreds or thousands more lives could be lost — a prospect at odds with Trump’s stated desire for the end to the bloodshed.” Other sources like Fox News (Right) framed the ceasefire negotiations around former Obama Defense Secretary and CIA director Leon Panetta, who credited Trump for starting the talks. Others, like NBC News (Lean Left), framed the developments around what they deemed as Putin “flirting with the Trump administration” while highlighting further Russian aggression through the use of drone strikes in Ukraine following Putin’s remarks Thursday.    Updated 3/14/25 at 9:53 am ET.