Kremlin is evaluating options for a concession to US President Donald Trump, which may include an air truce with Ukraine in an attempt to avoid the threat of secondary sanctions, even with Russia determined to continue his war.
Authorities acknowledge that US envoy’s visit, Steve Witkoff, to Russia this week offers one last opportunity for Trump agreement, even if successful expectations are low, people said familiar with the situation, who asked anonymity to discuss sensitive issues. A pause in air strikes involving drones and missiles as a gesture of broken can be a potential proposal, since Ukraine also agrees, one of them said.
Still, President Vladimir Putin will not accept a general ceasefire in Ukraine while his forces remain constant advances on the battlefield, and the goals of the Russian War remain unchanged. It is unclear whether any restraint would include conditions that made it unacceptable to Kiev and his allies.
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“We consider these meetings very important,” said Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, in response to a comment on Russian proposals for Witkoff visit. “But we don’t comment in advance.”
Trump said Witkoff should go to Russia on Wednesday for the fifth time this year, and Kremlin said a meeting with Putin could take place. The US president threatens to impose heavy tariffs from Friday on countries such as China and India who buy oil and other Russian products, in an attempt to increase Putin’s pressure to end the war, which is already in his fourth year.
“Trump needs some kind of ‘gift’, a concession from Russia,” said Sergei Markov, political consultant in Moscow near Kremlin. “An air truce could be this gift.”
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Trump intensified the criticism of India on Tuesday, saying that he would increase “very substantially” rates on Indian exports to the US in the next 24 hours to punish New Delhi for buying Russian oil and “feed the war machine.” India considered the measure unjustified.
After returning to the White House promising to end the war quickly, Trump has become increasingly frustrated with Putin’s refusal to agree with a ceasefire during six calls with the Russian leader since February. He told reporters last week that they have “so respectful and pleasant conversations, and then people die the next night – with a missile hitting a city.”
Belarus president Alexander Lukashenko mentioned “an air truce” in statements alongside Putin on Friday, although the Russian leader did not comment on it. Lukashenko met Trump’s envoy to Ukraine Keith Kellogg in June, the highest -level American employee to visit Belarus since 2020.
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“I say yes, Russia is interested in this, President Putin, but you don’t want to,” Lukashenko told reporters, referring to negotiations. “Tell Zelensky to agree with that.”
Kellogg is expected to visit Kiev later this week for talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, Ukrayinska Pravda said on Monday, citing people from the presidential office who did not identify.
Zelensky said he had “productive” telephone conversations with Trump on Tuesday, including sanctions against Russia. The US president was “fully informed” about Russian attacks on Kiev and other cities and communities, Zelensky said in a social media post.
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Russia has intensified air strikes to Ukraine in recent weeks, including with record numbers, while Putin maintains strict demands in exchange for an agreement to end the war. These requirements include acceptance of Ukraine’s neutral status and recognition of the annexation of Crimea by Russia and four east and southern regions of Ukraine that its troops partially occupy.
Ukraine rejects these conditions while asking Russia to agree with a ceasefire to allow space for negotiations for a peace agreement.
Putin repeatedly rejected the US and European appeals to meet a 30-day ceasefire, although he declared a 72-hour truce when Russia celebrated the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II in May. In March, Ukraine and Russia said they would observe a 30 -day moratorium against attacks on energy infrastructure after conversations with Trump, although each side accused the other of violating the agreement.
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Two thirds of the Russians are favorable at the end of the war in current positions, while a room wants to continue fighting, according to Denis Volkov, director of the Levada Center Independent Research Institute in Moscow.
“For most Russians, the end of the war, but not the return to previous borders, it is a welcome scenario,” he said.
© 2025 Bloomberg L.P.
