Russia will not accept a ceasefire in Ukraine based on terms dictated by the United States, a top Russian lawmaker has warned, following U.S.-Ukraine ceasefire talks held in Saudi Arabia earlier this week.
This was reported by The Moscow Times.
Konstantin Kosachev, Deputy Chairman of the Federation Council — the upper chamber of Russia’s parliament — dismissed the proposed 30-day ceasefire agreement reached between Washington and Kyiv as one-sided and unbalanced.
“The Ukrainians agree to what they are told. And at the same time they bow and fawn,” Kosachev wrote on Telegram, adding that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky was “on the defensive.”
Russia Says Frontline, Not Foreign Talks, Will Decide Peace
According to Kosachev, Moscow views progress on the battlefield — not in diplomatic back rooms — as the real driver behind any future peace deal.
“This is not boasting, but an understanding that real agreements are still being written there, at the front,” he said, suggesting that Russia’s military advances in Ukraine give it the upper hand.
He insisted that the terms of any future agreement must be made on Russia’s conditions, not dictated by the United States.
Kosachev also warned against “outside interference” in ongoing discussions between Moscow and Washington, saying commentary from third parties would be unhelpful. “Victory will be ours,” he concluded.
Ceasefire Talks Underway
On March 11, Ukrainian and American officials held a nine-hour meeting in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, where Kyiv agreed to a 30-day ceasefire, with an option to extend it — provided Russia agrees.
U.S. President Donald Trump, speaking after the meeting, called the proposal “very important,” saying a ceasefire deal with Russia would be “75% of the way” to ending the war.
“I hope we can work out an agreement. But if we can’t, the bloodshed will continue. And people will die tomorrow and in the days to come,” Trump warned.
The U.S. delegation in Jeddah included Secretary of State Marco Rubio and National Security Advisor Mike Waltz, who said “the ball is now in Russia’s court.”
“We hope that the Russians will reciprocate,” Rubio stated.
Responding to the diplomatic push, Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova said Moscow “does not rule out contacts with U.S. representatives” in the coming days.
President Trump also said he planned to speak personally with Russian President Vladimir Putin later this week as part of efforts to secure an agreement.
