While Russia waits for a formal ceasefire proposal this week, it gained several new territories in the Kursk and Donetsk region. These regions will likely remain Russian after the hypothetical peace deal since the U.S. has conceded that Ukraine will have to cede territory in the ceasefire deal.
Russia hasn’t been formally presented with the ceasefire that Ukraine agreed to this week. They are waiting by the phone though and the Kremlin says that a phone call between Presidents Putin and Trump are a possibility. The White House says that special envoy Steve Witkoff will be traveling to Moscow later this week to deliver the proposal.
Meanwhile, the U.S. CIA and Russia’s Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR) have reportedly agreed to be cordial from now on too. It was reported that the two heads “agreed on regular contact to reduce confrontation between Moscow and Washington…following a phone talk between the heads of both intelligence agencies.”
Even though Ukraine agreed to the ceasefire, President Zelensky says that the peace deal cannot include losing the territories that Russia now controls, even though the residents in those regions requested Russia’s military operation and voted to join Russia.
“We are fighting for our independence. Therefore, we will not recognize any occupied territories as Russia’s,” he said.
The Trump administration has repeatedly said that they’re going to have to do this. They’re going to have to do this.
