Russian President Vladimir Putin said Thursday he had "serious questions" about Washington's plan for a 30-day ceasefire in Ukraine but Moscow was ready to discuss it with US President Donald Trump.
Putin made his first comments on the plan, which Ukraine agreed to Tuesday at talks with the United States, saying he was "for" the proposed ceasefire, but "there are nuances" and he had "serious questions" about how it would work.
Putin told reporters: "I think we need to talk to our American colleagues... Maybe have a phone call with President Trump and discuss this with him."
The United States has called for Russia to agree a ceasefire without any conditions, with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio saying Tuesday: "That's what we want to know — if they're prepared to do it unconditionally."
Trump said Putin's statement was "promising" but "not complete".
"A lot of the details of a final agreement have actually been discussed. Now we're going to see if Russia is there and, if not, it will be a very disappointing moment for the world," Trump said.
"I'd love to meet with him or talk to him. But we have to get it over with fast."
Putin earlier said at his press conference that Russia would take its "next steps" based on the situation on the ground as its forces make rapid progress on the front line.
After visiting a military headquarters in the Kursk region Wednesday, the Russian president hailed troops' progress against Ukraine.
He said Russian troops were "advancing in practically all areas" of the front line and "based on how the situation on the ground develops, we will agree on the next steps in ending the conflict and reaching agreements acceptable to all".
As Trump pushes for a speedy end to the more than three-year conflict, his envoy Steve Witkoff arrived in Moscow Thursday to discuss the plan.
A top Kremlin aide, Yuri Ushakov, said Witkoff would meet Putin on Thursday evening in a "closed format", in comments to Izvestia newspaper.
Russia has been grinding forward on the battlefield for over a year, and claimed on Thursday to have driven Ukrainian forces from the town of Sudzha in Russia's Kursk region.
Trump has expressed optimism that his team can secure a ceasefire, despite Moscow's battlefield gains.
"If we can get Russia to stop, then we have a full ceasefire. And I think it'll never go back to war," Trump told reporters on Wednesday.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky earlier Thursday had criticised the lack of an official response from Moscow, saying on social media that this shows "Russia seeks to prolong the war and postpone peace for as long as possible."
Ahead of talks, Putin said Thursday: "We agree with proposals to cease hostilities, but on the basis that cessation would lead to long-term peace and address the root causes of the crisis."
Russia has already ruled out accepting foreign peacekeepers in Ukraine as part of a ceasefire or long-term security guarantee for Kyiv.
That could go against a request Ukraine has made of European allies to deploy military "contingents" on its territory once the conflict ends to protect against future attacks from Russia.
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