Russia and the United States have held discussions on the next steps to resolve the war in Ukraine, the Kremlin announced on Sunday. The talks come as Ukraine’s European allies urge Moscow to agree to an unconditional 30-day ceasefire.
The US suggested the temporary halt in hostilities after negotiations in Saudi Arabia earlier this week, a proposal Ukraine has accepted. However, Russian President Vladimir Putin has not provided a clear response, instead presenting a list of demands and raising concerns over the ceasefire terms.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky accused Moscow of stalling, arguing that Putin aims to first “improve their situation on the battlefield” before considering any ceasefire.
On Sunday, Russia’s foreign ministry stated that US Secretary of State Marco Rubio spoke with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, with both diplomats discussing “concrete aspects of implementing agreements” reached at a US-Russia summit in Riyadh last month. This gathering marked the first high-level engagement between the two nations since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
According to the Russian statement, Lavrov and Rubio agreed to stay in contact, but the Kremlin made no mention of the US-backed ceasefire initiative. Meanwhile, US State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce confirmed that the two officials had talked about the “next steps” regarding Ukraine and expressed commitment to restoring US-Russia communication channels.
The call came just hours after UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer hosted a virtual summit on Ukraine, where he accused Putin of “dragging his feet” on the ceasefire proposal.
“The ‘yes, but’ from Russia is not good enough,” Starmer said, urging an end to what he described as “barbaric attacks on Ukraine.”
Putin Accused of ‘Lying’ About Ceasefire
Putin has claimed that the proposed ceasefire would primarily benefit Ukraine while disadvantaging Russian forces, whom he insists are making territorial gains. He raised “serious questions” about the agreement’s terms.
The proposal comes as Russian forces continue advancing in parts of eastern and southern Ukraine. Moscow has recently pushed Ukrainian troops out of areas in the Kursk region, which Kyiv had hoped to hold as leverage in future negotiations.
Putin has reportedly expressed interest in discussing Russia’s concerns with US President Donald Trump. Zelensky, however, dismissed Putin’s reasoning, accusing the Russian leader of intentionally avoiding peace. “He accused Putin of “lying about how a ceasefire is supposedly too complicated,” Zelensky said.
On Sunday, Ukrainian officials reported that a Russian drone attack killed one person in the city of Izyum, located in the Kharkiv region, which Russian forces occupied early in the war before Ukrainian troops reclaimed it.
