Reuters news agency quoted sources revealing that last year Russian President Vladimir Putin sent signals to the US through many intermediaries that he was willing to consider a ceasefire.
President Putin proposed to “freeze” the war in Ukraine and maintain the status quo on the front lines, but was determined not to give up the Ukrainian territory occupied by Russia, considering this an option that the Kremlin considers the best option to achieve peace. .
The intermediaries began meeting in Turkey in late 2023. The proposal was then sent to Washington, specifically White House national security advisor Jake Sullivan, Central Intelligence Agency Director Bill Burns and Secretary of State Antony Blinken jointly reviewed.
Originally, advisor Sullivan was preparing to work with Russian foreign policy advisor Yury Ushakov to propose the next step. But in January 2024, US officials said that there would be no discussion of a ceasefire without Ukraine participating in the dialogue. Washington does not want to put pressure on Kyiv and is skeptical of President Putin. So efforts from Russia brought no results. The Kremlin also realized that further contact was useless and continued the war.
Information about the failed communication process between the US and Russia was revealed in the context that President Joe Biden has not been able to successfully convince the US Congress to provide more aid to Ukraine. The long war left Kyiv with a shortage of both weapons and soldiers.
Russia and Ukraine negotiated when the war first broke out, but diplomatic efforts failed. President Volodymyr Zelenskiy resolutely does not accept Russia occupying any territory of his country.