What might a ceasefire look like?; Ukraine agreed, what does Putin say?

The decision now rests with Vladimir Putin, on whom it depends whether a ceasefire will be reached after more than three years of war, which could turn into a permanent peace. The whole process will take place in four stages, during which Russia and Ukraine would have to stop operations that are now the most common - mass drone attacks.

On Tuesday, Ukraine agreed to a ceasefire, and America announced a meeting with Putin, after negotiations between the Ukrainian and American delegations in Saudi Arabia. The talks lasted more than seven hours, but ended positively, according to Kyiv and Washington.

Ukrainians agreed to America's proposal

"Ukraine has expressed its readiness to accept the US proposal for an immediate, temporary ceasefire of 30 days, which can be extended by mutual agreement of the parties, and which is subject to acceptance and simultaneous implementation by the Russian Federation. Both delegations agreed to appoint their negotiating teams and immediately begin negotiations towards a lasting peace that ensures the long-term security of Ukraine," according to a joint statement by American and Ukrainian officials.

The cease-fire proposal will now go to Moscow, and Trump's special envoy for the Middle East, Steve Witkoff, is going to Russia to convince Putin to accept it.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who did not participate in the negotiations in Saudi Arabia, emphasized that there is a chance that the ceasefire will come into force "at the same moment", if it is accepted in Moscow.

"If the Russian side agrees to the terms of a complete ceasefire, not only with regard to missiles, drones and bombs, not only in the Black Sea, but also along the entire front line, it will begin immediately. Ukraine is ready for peace. Russia must also show whether it is ready to end the war, or to continue it. The time has come for the truth," Zelensky said.

Ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine in 4 stages

How could that ceasefire be implemented? The answer to this question is hidden in the statement of Zelensky, who himself had a proposal for a partial ceasefire. The Americans actually upgraded that plan and formulated it so that it implies the cessation of combat operations on all front lines, as well as a pause in air and naval attacks:

1. Suspension of drone attacks: This is probably the most difficult part of the agreement for Ukraine and Russia, considering that drone attacks have been the most common in previous months. This means that Russia would stop attacks on Ukraine's energy grid, and Kyiv would stop attacks on numerous Russian cities, including Moscow;
2. Cessation of the use of long-range missiles: This type of attack is mostly used by Russia, considering that it has a significantly larger stockpile of weapons than Ukraine. During the previous three years, Moscow often used ballistic missiles for attacks on the territory of Ukraine, which resulted in a large number of victims;
3. End of operations in the Black Sea: Russians and Ukrainians are at war on land, in the air and at sea. Although naval skirmishes often pass under the radar, except for the one when the ship "Moscow" - the pride of the Russian Navy - was sunk, stopping the operations at sea would allow Kyiv's forces a much-needed break due to regrouping;
4. Comprehensive ceasefire: Suspension of fighting on the front lines, after the implementation of the first three stages.

What does the Kremlin say?

As US Secretary of State Marco Rubio pointed out, the ball is now in Moscow's court. In Russia's first reaction to the ceasefire proposal, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Moscow was waiting for information from Washington.

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The Kremlin does not rule out the possibility of a phone conversation between Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President Donald Trump in the near future, Peskov pointed out.

"We do not rule out that the topic of a telephone conversation at the highest level may arise. If such a need arises, it will be organized very quickly. The existing channels for dialogue with the Americans allow it to be done in a fairly short period of time," he said.

Peskov added that Russia expects to receive information about the details of the negotiations in Jeddah at the talks with the Americans, which will take place soon.

However, a source from the Kremlin told the Reuters agency that Putin will have a hard time agreeing to the idea of ​​a ceasefire, without an agreement on specific terms and some kind of guarantees for Moscow.

"It will be difficult for Putin to agree to it in its current form. Putin is in a strong position because Russia is moving forward," Reuters quoted the source as saying on condition of anonymity.

Trump is sending an envoy to Moscow

The man who will try to change Putin's attitude on behalf of the Trump administration is Steve Witkoff. He is the special envoy for the Middle East, but he already had contact and success with Kremlin officials, when he secured the release of American citizen Marc Fogel from Russian captivity.

There are reports that Witkoff will meet with Putin as early as this week, which means that Trump is in a hurry to announce the ceasefire and his diplomatic victory.

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The statement that Witkoff is coming to Russia was also commented on by the spokeswoman of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Maria Zakharova. As she says, contacts between Russia and the USA are currently very intense.

"Bilateral contacts with the USA are quite intense at the current stage. Their level and formats are often agreed upon in working mode very quickly," Zakharova said.

According to some information, Witkoff could negotiate with Putin on Thursday, but there is still no official confirmation of the date of his trip.