Senior US officials are preparing to visit Russia for discussions on a possible ceasefire in Ukraine, following Ukraine’s recent agreement to a 30-day truce after high-level negotiations with American representatives in Saudi Arabia.
The move comes as Russian President Vladimir Putin visited the contested Kursk region, an area affected by last year’s Ukrainian incursion. Kremlin-released footage showed Putin alongside military chief Valery Gerasimov, both clad in combat gear.
While the White House has yet to disclose the names of officials traveling to Moscow, Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed that National Security Secretary Mike Waltz had spoken with his Russian counterpart about the upcoming talks.
“We urge Russia to accept this plan. This is the closest we’ve come to peace in this war,” Leavitt told reporters.
Diplomatic Push Following Jeddah Talks
The US initiative follows a meeting in Jeddah on Tuesday, where Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky called the ceasefire proposal a “positive step” and urged Washington to convince Moscow to accept it.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said Russia was reviewing the proposal and would communicate its position “through various channels” in the coming days. He did not confirm whether Putin would speak directly with former US President Donald Trump but acknowledged that a phone call was “possible.”
Speaking in the Oval Office alongside Irish Prime Minister Micheál Martin on Wednesday, Trump stated he had received “positive messages” regarding the ceasefire. However, he cautioned that optimism alone would not resolve the conflict.
“This is a very serious situation,” Trump said. “We’ve discussed land and other key issues. We know the territories in question—whether to pull back or not.”
Trump also suggested he could impose financial pressure on Russia if negotiations failed.
“That would be very bad for Russia,” he said. “I don’t want to do that, because I want peace.”
Fighting Persists Despite Ceasefire Talks
Despite diplomatic efforts, hostilities continue. Overnight, Russian missile and drone strikes targeted Ukrainian cities, including Kryvyy Rih—Zelensky’s hometown—along with Odesa, Dnipropetrovsk, and Kharkiv.
Meanwhile, in the Kursk region, Russian forces have reportedly regained territory previously held by Ukrainian troops. Peskov stated that Russian forces were “advancing successfully” following Putin’s visit to a frontline command post.
During his trip, Putin reportedly instructed the military to “fully liberate” the region, though he has yet to comment on the proposed ceasefire agreement between Ukraine and the US.
