Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday dismissed the possibility of a full ceasefire in Ukraine, claiming that Kyiv would use any pause in hostilities to acquire more Western weapons and plan further attacks.
Ukraine has recently advocated for an unconditional 30-day ceasefire, presenting its latest proposal during peace talks held in Istanbul on Monday.
“Why should we reward them with a combat break that will be used to supply the regime with Western arms, continue forced mobilizations, and plan terrorist acts?” Putin stated during a televised government meeting.
During the Istanbul discussions, Russia presented broad demands for any ceasefire, including the complete withdrawal of Ukrainian forces from four eastern and southern regions claimed by Moscow—though Russian troops do not fully control these territories.
Putin further accused Ukraine of orchestrating recent attacks on infrastructure in Russian border regions, including a bridge explosion that led to a train derailment, resulting in seven deaths and over 100 injuries. Ukraine has not claimed responsibility for the incident.
According to Putin, such attacks were intended to disrupt ongoing negotiations and were further evidence that Ukraine’s leadership is “transforming into a terrorist organization.”
Rather than accepting Ukraine’s proposal for a 30-day ceasefire, Russia suggested a limited two-to-three-day pause in fighting, intended to allow both sides to retrieve the bodies of fallen soldiers. However, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov informed Putin that Ukraine had declined the offer.
“The Kyiv regime does not want peace, because peace would mean the end of their grip on power,” Putin alleged.
Russia’s chief negotiator, Vladimir Medinsky, confirmed that Moscow is prepared to proceed with a large-scale prisoner exchange agreed upon during the Istanbul talks. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky indicated that the initial phase of this exchange is expected to take place over the weekend.
