Three informed Russian sources told Reuters that the United States rejected Russian President Vladimir Putin's proposal for a ceasefire in Ukraine to freeze the war, following communications between intermediaries. This rejection of Putin's proposal opens the door to a third year of the deadliest conflict in Europe since World War II and demonstrates the widening gap between the two largest nuclear powers in the world. An American source denied any official contact, stating that Washington would not participate in talks without Ukraine being a party. The Russian sources indicated that in 2023, Putin sent signals to Washington both publicly and privately through intermediaries, including through Moscow's Arab partners in the Middle East and others, indicating his willingness to consider a ceasefire in Ukraine.
Putin was proposing to freeze the conflict at current lines and was not prepared to concede any of the Ukrainian territories controlled by Russia, but the signal was seen by some in the Kremlin as the best path toward "a degree of peace." A senior Russian source, familiar with discussions that took place in late last year and early this year, told Reuters on the condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the situation, "Communications with the Americans led to nothing." A second Russian source, knowledgeable about the communications, informed Reuters that the Americans conveyed to Moscow, through intermediaries, that they would not discuss a potential ceasefire without Ukraine's participation, thus ending the communications in failure. A third source familiar with the discussions remarked, "Everything collapsed with the Americans," adding that the Americans do not want to pressure Ukraine.
The extent of the communications or their failure had not previously been disclosed. This comes at a time when President Joe Biden has been pressing for months for Congressional approval of additional aid for Ukraine, but has faced opposition from allies of Donald Trump, the leading candidate for the Republican presidential nomination.
