Camilla Jessen
A Financial Times report suggesting Vladimir Putin is ready to halt fighting in Ukraine has been denied by the Kremlin.
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The Kremlin has denied a Financial Times report that claimed Russian President Vladimir Putin is willing to freeze the war in Ukraine along the current front lines.
In a statement to RIA Novosti on April 22, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov dismissed the article.
“There are many fake reports being published right now, including by reputable outlets,” Peskov said. “That’s why people should listen only to primary sources.”
The FT article had suggested that Putin was open to halting further military advances in Ukraine, so long as Russia could retain control over the territory it has already occupied. The report cited a private meeting in St. Petersburg between Putin and Steve Witkoff, a U.S. businessman and President Trump’s special envoy.
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While the Kremlin did not directly confirm or deny that such a conversation took place, Peskov appeared to downplay the idea that any formal offer or shift in Russia’s war policy had been made.
He added that “intense work is underway,” but stressed that such negotiations “cannot be done publicly.”
The report had stirred speculation that Moscow may be exploring a diplomatic off-ramp to the war—one that would freeze current positions and cement gains without making new territorial demands.
Kyiv: No Peace Proposal Received
Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on the same day that Ukraine has not received any official peace offer from the United States.
This contradicts recent reports from U.S. media suggesting that Washington presented a one-page proposal described as President Trump’s “final offer.”
That document reportedly asked Ukraine to accept Russian control over Crimea and parts of four other regions, in exchange for vague security guarantees and economic support. It has yet to be formally delivered to Kyiv.