Russian presidential aide Yuriy Ushakov said Thursday that Moscow doesn’t want a temporary ceasefire, as it would give respite to the Ukrainian army.
The Kremlin has previously ruled out a temporary truce, but this is the first time a senior Russian official has outlined that position since the United States and Ukraine held talks in Saudi Arabia earlier this week, in which Ukraine accepted proposals for a 30-day US-backed ceasefire covering the entire frontline.
“I can say that I have recently been in fairly regular telephone contact with (US national security adviser) Michael Waltz,” the Kremlin aide said in an interview with Russian state media, adding that he spoke with Waltz on Wednesday about the US-Ukraine negotiations.
“The Americans and we think that there can be no talk about NATO in the context of the Ukrainian settlement and in the context of Ukraine’s future,” Ushakov also claimed.
CNN has asked the White House and State Department for comment.
Russia has previously said it would reject NATO troops on the ground in Ukraine. When US Secretary of State Marco Rubio was asked Wednesday about the possibility of European troops acting as peacekeepers, the top US diplomat responded: “There’s different ways to construct a deterrent on the ground.”
Negotiations: His remarks come as the Kremlin confirmed on Thursday that US negotiators will travel to Russia and are expected to take part in Ukraine war peace talks with Russian counterparts.
“Indeed, negotiators are on their way, and contacts are planned,” Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said during a news briefing Thursday. He declined to provide further details on the participants, saying, “We will share the details with you later.”
Russian state news agency TASS reported Thursday morning that the plane carrying US special envoy Steven Witkoff had landed in Moscow, citing data from the Flightradar 24 tracking service.
