Russia Rejects Trump's Call for Ceasefire in Ukraine, Ready for Peace Talks

Investing.com -- Russia has rejected the call for an immediate ceasefire in Ukraine from incoming U.S. President Donald Trump. However, the country stated that it is ready for talks aimed at a permanent peace agreement to end the nearly three-year-long war.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov described the idea of a ceasefire as a "dead end" during an online press conference on Thursday. He argued that Ukraine could use such a ceasefire to strengthen its military capacity. He emphasized the necessity of definitive, legally binding agreements to ensure the security of the Russian Federation and neighboring countries.

The Ukrainian government remains on the defensive as Russia continues to make gradual advancements on the battlefield. Signals from Trump and his team indicate that Russian President Vladimir Putin may currently maintain effective control over approximately 20% of Ukrainian territory occupied by his forces. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy appears to be softening his stance, suggesting that his administration may resort to diplomatic methods to regain its territories.

Russia is also demanding that Ukraine abandon its efforts to join the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and agree to strict limitations on the size of its military. These conditions have been firmly rejected by Kiev.

Lavrov expressed hope that the Trump administration would focus on the fundamental causes of the conflict, noting that President Putin is ready to consider serious and concrete proposals.