Ukraine war: Putin proposes ceasefire for Kostiantynivka in Donbass
After a joint rescue operation in Oleshky, the Kremlin chief is proposing another humanitarian pause to evacuate civilians from the embattled town of Kostiantynivka.
Quick Look
At a meeting with US negotiators, Kremlin chief Vladimir Putin proposed a five-day ceasefire in the town of Kostiantynivka to evacuate civilians and clear the area of mines.
AI-generated summary
Why It Matters
Russia and Ukraine carried out a joint evacuation operation in Oleschky at the end of October. The Donetsk and Kherson regions were annexed by Russia but are not internationally recognized.
During a ceasefire, Russians and Ukrainians recently worked together to rescue hundreds of people from the front-line town of Oleschky. Now Kremlin leader Putin is proposing a new humanitarian campaign of this kind.
Moscow. Russian President Vladimir Putin proposed a new temporary ceasefire, this time for the embattled town of Kostiantynivka in the Donetsk region, at a meeting with US negotiators in the Kremlin. There, as was recently the case in the front-line town of Oleshky in the Kherson region, hundreds of people could be brought to safety in a humanitarian operation, Putin said. Russia needs five days of ceasefire to clear the area of mines, he said at the start of the meeting with Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner.
Putin stated that Ukraine expects to control Kostiantynivka. He emphasized that he himself sees the city near Kramatorsk under Russian control. Hundreds of people could be saved in a new joint operation by Kiev and Moscow, he said. International media representatives, including from the USA, should also be invited to get an idea of the situation - as was the case in Oleschky at the end of October.
Model: The rescue of hundreds of people from Oleschky
In Oleschky, the human rights representatives of Ukraine and Russia led the mission together after the mediation of US First Lady Melania Trump. They then announced that there could be further operations of this kind. After the talks with Putin, Witkoff and Kushner also want to meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Dublin.
Overall, Putin appeared unyielding at the meeting. He emphasized that the lines in resolving the conflict are Russia's state borders. The Kremlin leader annexed the Ukrainian regions of Kherson, Zaporizhia, Luhansk and Donetsk and declared them Russian territory in 2022 without having control there. This is not internationally recognized. Russia is demanding a withdrawal of Ukrainian troops from the Donetsk region - as a prerequisite for a comprehensive ceasefire. Ukraine categorically rejects any cessions of territory.
What to Watch
AI outlook — possibilities, not facts
Meeting between Witkoff, Kushner and Zelensky in Dublin.
Likely · Within days
Open Questions
- Will Ukraine agree to the Kostyantynivka proposal?
- How is the planned meeting with Zelensky in Dublin going?
