MOSCOW, March 13, 2025 — Russian President Vladimir Putin signaled Thursday that he’s not entirely opposed to a U.S.-backed 30-day ceasefire in Ukraine, but he’s far from sold. While hinting at openness to talks with President Donald Trump, Putin piled on conditions and concerns, casting doubt on whether a truce could stick—or even start.
The West, alongside Ukraine, has branded Russia’s 2022 invasion a blatant land grab in the mold of old-school imperialism, vowing to push Moscow’s forces—now controlling nearly a fifth of Ukraine—back to the border. Russian troops have been clawing forward since mid-2024. Putin, though, sees it differently: a do-or-die stand against a fading, arrogant West that’s been poking the bear since the Berlin Wall came down in 1989, expanding NATO into what he calls Russia’s backyard, Ukraine included.
A Trump-Putin Deal in the Works?
Across Europe, leaders are jittery, worried Trump might pivot away from NATO allies to strike a grand bargain with Putin—one that could rope in China, oil markets, Middle East ties, and a Ukraine settlement. Putin didn’t exactly calm those fears. He said Russian forces are advancing along the entire front and stressed that any ceasefire must lock in guarantees—namely, that Ukraine doesn’t use the pause to reload and regroup.
“How do we know they won’t just take advantage? Who’s enforcing this thing?” Putin asked reporters at the Kremlin. “These are big, serious questions.” He floated the idea of a phone call with Trump to hash it out, adding, “We need to sit down with our American colleagues.”
The U.S. gave Ukraine a lifeline Tuesday, greenlighting weapons and intel sharing again after Kyiv backed the ceasefire plan at talks in Saudi Arabia. Meanwhile, Russia’s been flexing in Kursk, a western region where Ukrainian troops punched through last August to shake up the war’s dynamics. That gambit’s shrinking fast—down to under 77 square miles from a high of 500, per Moscow’s tally. Putin, who made a rare camo-clad visit to a Kursk command post Wednesday, questioned how a truce would play out there. “If we stop for 30 days, do they just walk away? Or do we let them off the hook after what they’ve done to civilians? It’s a mess.”
Bigger Ambitions, Lingering Doubts
Beyond the ceasefire, Russia’s reportedly handed the U.S. a wishlist for a broader deal—end the war, reset ties—according to two insiders. Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov said Washington’s well aware of Moscow’s stance but grumbled that the U.S. proposal so far offers Russia “nothing substantial.” Putin, though, struck a softer note on economics. He dangled an olive branch to Western firms that bailed during the war: “Come back anytime—welcome!”—though he warned their old markets are now in Russian hands, and no special deals are on the table.
Energy got a mention too. Putin mused that a U.S.-Russia thaw could restart gas flows to Europe, where Moscow’s once-dominant supply role has tanked since the fighting began. It’s a tantalizing prospect, but a long shot given the tangle of trust issues.
For now, Putin’s playing a careful game—nodding at Trump’s peace push while digging in on demands Kyiv and the West are unlikely to swallow. The ceasefire’s fate, and maybe more, hinges on what comes next between Moscow and Washington.
