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Published December 23, 2023, 7:40 PM ET
Russian President Vladimir Putin has quietly signaled through diplomatic communications that he may be open to a ceasefire in the nearly two-year war with Ukraine, despite public bravado in dominating Kiev.
According to a New York Times report, Putin has been hinting through intermediaries since September that he may be willing to accept a deal that “freezes fighting within the current framework,” citing two former senior Russian officials as well as American and international officials.
It is unclear whether Ukraine's leadership, which has vowed to retake all of its territory, would accept such a deal.
“They're saying, 'We're ready to negotiate a ceasefire,'” a senior international official who met with top Russians this fall told the Times.
“They want to stay where they are on the battlefield.”
It is unclear whether the Ukrainian leadership would agree to an agreement that would involve abandoning the territories currently occupied by Russian forces. POOL/AFP via Getty Images
Ukrainian military personnel fire an L119 howitzer at Russian troops near the frontline town of Bakhmut on December 21. Portal
For Putin, a ceasefire could be ideal because the war has effectively stalled, the long-awaited Ukrainian counteroffensive has proven disappointing and Western aid may not materialize, the officials said.
Although Putin publicly remains committed to his goal of taking control of Ukraine, behind closed doors he has suggested he simply wants Russia to declare victory and move on, the Times reported.
The Russian head of state had already raised the possibility of an agreement in the fall of 2022 after the Ukrainian army began repelling Moscow's forces and retaking areas in the northeast.
However, some US officials warned that Putin may not be keen on a deal and that this could simply be a misdirection tactic, while former Russian officials suggested he could also back away from the idea of a ceasefire if Moscow's forces arrive on the battlefield would gain momentum.
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