Kremlin denies reports Putin made Ukraine ceasefire offer to U.S.

Russian presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov denied a Reuters report that Vladimir Putin made an offer to the United States, through intermediaries, to freeze the conflict in Ukraine.

“No, this is not true,” Peskov said at a briefing.

On Feb. 13, Reuters reported that Vladimir Putin had been “sending signals” to the United States through intermediaries, saying he was ready to consider a ceasefire in Ukraine on the condition that Russian troops remain in the Ukrainian territories they occupied.

Washington, according to Reuters, citing three Russian sources familiar with the discussions, rejected the proposal, not wanting to sideline Kyiv in negotiations. A U.S. source denied that there had any official contact.

The report also says that Moscow used its Arab partners in the Middle East as intermediaries to reach out to the United States.

A December 2023 report from The New York Times also claims that Putin had been transmitting “signals” to the United States, citing their sources. According to the NYT, Putin has been signaling “through various diplomatic channels” since September 2023 that he’s ready to start ceasefire talks in Ukraine, stopping at the positions he has taken.