Report claims Putin is finally ready to consider Trump’s peace proposals

According to Russian state-owned news agency RIA Novosti, Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov stated Moscow is prepared to review the peace proposals for Ukraine by U.S. President-Elect Donald Trump.

On December 11th, RIA Novosti reported on its Telegram channel that Ryabkov claimed “Russia is ready to study Trump's proposals on Ukraine, but studying does not mean agreeing” based on a translation of the report from Newsweek. 

The report followed a Truth Social post by the President-Elect on December 8th calling for an “immediate ceasefire” in Ukraine and the opening of negotiations to put an end to the nearly three-year conflict.

Photo Credit: Truth Social @realDonaldTrump

“Zelenskyy and Ukraine would like to make a deal and stop the madness. They have ridiculously lost 400,000 soldiers, and many more civilians,” Trump wrote on his social network. “There should be an immediate ceasefire and negotiations should begin.”

“Too many lives are being so needlessly wasted, too many families destroyed, and if it keeps going, it can turn into something much bigger, and far worse. I know Vladimir well. This is his time to act. China can help. The World is waiting!” Trump added. 

Newsweek reported Trump’s comments came after a meeting with Zelensky and French President Emmanual Macron in Paris where all three leaders attended the re-opening ceremony of Notre Dame Cathedral. 

What the two leaders may have said to Trump about ending the conflict is impossible to know but the President-Elect later went on to reveal to the New York Post that Zelensky was in favor of a ceasefire and that Vladimir Putin was considering the proposal.

Zelensky previously said during a wide-ranging interview with Sky News on November 29th that a ceasefire deal with Russia could be possible if the territory that Ukraine still controled could be protected under NATO’s security umbrella. 

However, EuroActiv noted Zelensky reacted to Trump’s Truth Social calls for an immediate ceasefire on X, writing peace was not just a piece of paper but something that could only be achieved if Kyiv was provided with guarantees that could protect Ukraine from Russia. 

"When we talk about effective peace with Russia, we must first and foremost talk about effective guarantees for peace. Zelensky wrote on X “Ukrainians want peace more than anyone else.”

“This is the reality of this war. It cannot simply end with a piece of paper and a few signatures. A ceasefire without guarantees can be reignited at any moment, as Putin has already done before,” Zelensky continued. 

On December 2nd, Russian financier and Putin ally Konstantin Malofeev revealed to Bloomberg that Putin would reject Trump’s attempts to bring about a truce between Russia and Ukraine. He added that there was a 50-50 chance of an agreement with Trump. 

“It’s important that the future US administration understands that a truce is not a gift that Russia is waiting for, that they will start talking to us and we will give in to everything,” Malofeev explained. 

“A truce right now is good for Ukraine and for the US, but for us it brings zero benefits - because we’re winning,” Malofeev continued. However, as of December 4th, Russia also had yet to receive any word from Trump or his team about a potential peace plan. 

According to remarks Sergei Ryabkov made while speaking with CNN’s Fred Pleitgen, Russia had only seen “what was made public by some people in his entourage” and the statements from Trump on the campaign trail about resolving the war in 24 hours. 

"Twenty-four hours was probably a word he used in order to attract additional sympathies among voters," Ryabkov added, according to a quote published by Newsweek. "Some conflicts cannot be even resolved in 24 years, as we see, in the Middle East."

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