Putin meets US envoys to review former president's Ukraine cease‑fire plan

Russian President Vladimir Putin sat down with a team of United States diplomats in Moscow on Monday to consider a peace initiative first floated by former President Donald Trump, Al Jazeera reported. The discussion focused on a framework that would halt fighting in Ukraine and open a path to negotiations, with both Moscow and Kyiv pledging not to target each other's capitals for a three‑day window.

The U.S. delegation, led by senior State Department officials, said they would convey the details of Trump’s suggestion to Washington, where the former president has been urging a diplomatic resolution since leaving office. While the exact terms of the proposal were not disclosed, it is understood to involve a cease‑fire, prisoner exchanges and a roadmap for political talks that could eventually replace the current battlefield stalemate.

Both Russia and Ukraine have previously agreed to limited de‑escalation measures, but a mutual commitment not to strike Moscow or Kyiv marks a rare moment of coordination. The three‑day pause, announced jointly by the two governments, is intended to create a humanitarian corridor and reduce civilian casualties in the densely populated capitals, Al Jazeera noted.

The meeting comes amid a protracted conflict that began with Russia’s full‑scale invasion in February 2022. Over four years, the war has caused more than 100,000 deaths and displaced millions, while diplomatic efforts in Geneva, Istanbul and other venues have repeatedly stalled. Trump’s proposal, first hinted at in a 2024 interview, represents a departure from the conventional NATO‑backed approach, seeking a U.S.‑led diplomatic push that could bypass some of the entrenched positions of the Kyiv‑Moscow talks.

Analysts say the brief capital‑strike moratorium could serve as a confidence‑building step, but its impact will depend on how quickly both sides can translate the pause into broader cease‑fire terms. If successful, it may open the door to a more comprehensive settlement; if not, the conflict could resume with renewed intensity. The coming days will reveal whether the United States can leverage Trump’s plan to bring the warring parties back to the negotiating table.

For now, the world watches as Putin and the U.S. envoys navigate a delicate diplomatic dance, hoping that a short‑term restraint might evolve into a lasting peace for a region still reeling from years of violence.