Russian President Vladimir Putin has reportedly offered to halt the invasion of Ukraine where the front line currently stands. This would come as part of an effort to reach a peace deal in the region.
Three people familiar with the matter told the Financial Times that Putin told Trump administration special envoy Steve Witkoff about the offer, which would see Russia relinquish its claims to four Ukrainian regions it partially occupies that remain under Kyiv’s control.
The sources said that the US has considered recognition of Russian ownership of Ukraine's Crimean Peninsula, as well as Russia's control over portions of the four regions it currently holds.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has said that the country would not recognize Russia’s ownership of Crimea. "Ukraine will not recognise the occupation of Crimea. It’s our territory, the territory of the people of Ukraine, there is nothing to discuss here," he said.
This comes as Ukrainian officials are set to meet with US and European officials to discuss peace deal proposals in London on Wednesday. While Witkoff and Secretary of State Marco Rubio will no longer be attending, Trump’s Ukraine envoy Keith Kellogg is still set to attend. Witkoff is reportedly visiting Moscow later this week, Putin’s foreign policy advisor said on Tuesday.
Dmitry Peskov, Putin’s spokesman, told the Financial Times, "Tense work is under way. We are talking to the Americans. The work is difficult and takes a lot of time, so it is difficult to expect immediate results, and the work cannot be done in public."
Ahead of Easter Sunday, Putin declared that there will be an "Easter truce," saying in a video posted by the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, "Guided by humanitarian considerations, today from 18:00 to 00:00 from Sunday to Monday, the Russian side declares an Easter truce."
Zelensky wrote, however, "Today, our forces continued their activity on the territory of the Kursk region and are holding their positions. In the Belgorod region, our warriors have advanced and expanded our zone of control. As for yet another attempt by Putin to play with human lives—at this moment, air raid alerts are spreading across Ukraine.
"At 17:15, Russian attack drones were detected in our skies. Ukrainian air defense and aviation have already begun working to protect us. Shahed drones in our skies reveal Putin’s true attitude toward Easter and toward human life."
