Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has endorsed the plan, but Russia has yet to commit to the ceasefire.
U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin are scheduled to have a conversation this week, according to special envoy Steve Witkoff, as Russia remains uncommitted to a ceasefire proposal mediated by the U.S. with Ukraine.
“The two presidents are poised for a constructive and positive dialogue this week,” Witkoff remarked in an interview with UJ on Sunday.
Previously, Moscow indicated that U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio had contacted his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov to discuss the “concrete aspects of the implementation of understandings” from a U.S.-Russia summit held in Saudi Arabia last month.
The February meeting in Riyadh marked the first high-level engagement between the United States and Russia since Moscow initiated its invasion in February 2022.
According to the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, “Sergey Lavrov and Marco Rubio agreed to stay in touch,” with no reference made to the U.S.-proposed ceasefire.
State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce noted on Saturday that the two had “discussed the next steps” regarding Ukraine. She further stated that Rubio and Lavrov “agreed to continue working towards reestablishing communication between the U.S. and Russia.”
These discussions come as Washington has advanced a 30-day immediate ceasefire proposal following negotiations in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. While Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has accepted the plan, Putin has yet to endorse the ceasefire. Although he expressed agreement in principle, he mentioned there are “serious questions” that need to be addressed by Russia.
Zelenskyy has accused the Kremlin of not genuinely wanting to end the conflict, warning that Moscow aims to improve its military position before conceding to any ceasefire agreement.
Zelenskyy Accuses Putin of ‘Lying’
In response to the ceasefire proposal earlier this week, Putin claimed that the initiative would mainly favor Ukraine and not the Russian forces, which he asserted are “advancing” in several regions.
This proposal emerged at a time when Russia, which controls significant areas in southern and eastern Ukraine, has made progress in certain frontline locations.
It has succeeded in pushing Ukrainian forces from parts of the Kursk region, where Kyiv aims to retain control over Russian-occupied territory as potential leverage in future discussions.
Putin expressed his desire to address Moscow’s issues with Trump during their phone conversation.
Zelenskyy pointed out that by refusing to agree to the ceasefire, Putin is also opposing Trump – who has made gestures towards Russia – and accused Moscow of seeking ways to prolong the war. He labeled Putin as “lying about how a ceasefire is allegedly too complicated.”
On Sunday, Ukraine reported that one individual was killed due to a Russian drone strike on the city of Izyum in the Kharkiv region, which had fallen under Russian control at the onset of the invasion but was later reclaimed by Ukrainian forces.
