A high-ranking Kremlin official stated on the 13th that a proposed 30-day ceasefire, which Ukraine has agreed to in principle following a suggestion from the United States, would ultimately provide Ukrainian forces with a chance to rest, thus aiding them. Yuri Ushakov, Assistant to Russian President Vladimir Putin for Foreign Policy, mentioned in a TV speech that the temporary ceasefire would offer the Ukrainian military a “temporary respite.”
Ushakov further expressed that Russia desires a long-term peaceful resolution that considers Moscow’s interests and concerns. This statement followed a phone conversation he had with Mike Waltz, the White House National Security Advisor, the previous day.
Ushakov’s comments echo President Putin’s earlier statements that such a temporary ceasefire would only benefit Ukraine and its Western allies.
Russian media reported the arrival of a plane carrying Steve Whitko, the US Special Envoy to the Middle East, in Moscow, although Whitko’s arrival has yet to be confirmed. US officials had expressed hope, before departing for Moscow, that Russia would cease its attacks on Ukraine within the next few days.
Meanwhile, as US officials continue to seek Russia’s response to a 30-day ceasefire proposal agreed upon by Ukraine, Russian officials claimed on the 13th that Russian forces have driven Ukrainian forces out of the largest city in Russia’s Kursk border region.
The Russian Ministry of Defense’s claim of recapturing the village of Suja just hours after President Vladimir Putin’s visit to Russian military commanders in Kursk has not been independently verified. Ukrainian officials have not made any immediate comments regarding this claim.