US rejects Putin's proposal to cease fire after meeting of mediators – Reuters

According to Russian sources, the US rejected Russian President Vladimir Putin's proposal for a ceasefire in Ukraine to halt the war after talks with mediators.

Source: Reuters, citing three Russian sources familiar with the negotiations

Details: According to three Russian sources, mediators met in Türkiye near the end of 2023.

According to a fourth diplomatic source, Russia initiated unofficial contacts between the Russian Federation and the United States through intermediaries. These contacts did not appear to result in anything.

A US official said he was unaware of informal contacts through intermediaries.

According to three Russian sources, Putin's signal was relayed to Washington, where senior US officials gathered, including White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan, Central Intelligence Agency director Bill Burns, and US Secretary of State Antony Blinken.

According to one Russian source, Sullivan planned to speak with Putin's foreign policy adviser, Yuri Ushakov, to determine next steps.

However, when the call came in January, Sullivan informed Ushakov that Washington was willing to discuss other aspects of the relationship but would not discuss a cease-fire without Ukraine, according to one Russian source.

The US official declined to provide any information about Sullivan's alleged phone calls, as well as whether such a conversation occurred with Ushakov.

According to Russian sources, Putin publicly and privately, through intermediaries such as Moscow's Arab partners in the Middle East and others, signalled to Washington in 2023 that he was willing to consider a ceasefire in Ukraine.

Putin suggested freeze the conflict on current lines and refused to cede any Russian-controlled Ukrainian territory, but the signal represented what some in the Kremlin saw as the best path to peace.

"The contacts with the Americans came to nothing," said a senior Russian source familiar with the negotiations in late 2023 - early 2024, speaking anonymously.

A second Russian source familiar with these contacts told Reuters that the Americans told Moscow, through intermediaries, that they would not discuss a possible ceasefire without Ukraine's participation, so the talks failed.

A third source familiar with the negotiations stated, "Everything fell apart with the Americans." They argue that the US did not want to put pressure on Ukraine.

One of the Russian sources expressed disappointment with the United States because of Washington's insistence not to push Ukraine to negotiate.

"Putin said: 'I knew they wouldn't do anything'," according to another Russian source. "They cut off the root of the contacts which had taken two months to create.

Another Russian source suggested that the United States did not believe in Putin's sincerity.

"The Americans didn't believe Putin was genuine about a ceasefire - but he was and is - he is ready to discuss a ceasefire. But equally, Putin is also ready to fight on for as long as it takes - and Russia can fight for as long as it takes," the Russian source said.

According to Russian sources, the Kremlin sees no point in further discussions with the US on this matter, so the war will continue.

The Kremlin, the White House, US State Department, and the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) all declined to comment.

The US official, who spoke in Washington on the condition of anonymity, stated that the US was not conducting any talks with Russia through closed channels and that Washington had consistently refused to act behind Ukraine's back.

The US official stated that although there seemed to have been informal "Track II" talks between Russians outside the government, the US was not involved in them.

This source noted that Putin's position on maintaining his clout over conquered Ukrainian territory has not changed, but Moscow appears disappointed because Washington does not accept this.

Background: Last week, Vladimir Putin told pro-Russian American journalist Tucker Carlson that Russia was supposedly ready for "dialogue" but that Ukraine refused to negotiate.

The Russian leader regularly accuses Ukraine of being unwilling to negotiate and reach a truce, although he himself shows no desire to end the war and compromise for peace.

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