Putin sends private message on ceasefire proposal to Trump

Under the winter skies of Moscow, the Kremlin revealed on Friday that President Vladimir Putin had relayed a confidential message to President Donald Trump, endorsing a proposed 30-day ceasefire in Ukraine while tempering expectations with lingering questions (via Reuters).

The overture was delivered through Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff during late-night negotiations, while Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov framed the exchange as a rare alignment of priorities, noting Putin's solidarity with Trump's push for de-escalation but underscoring unresolved complexities that demand joint scrutiny.

Behind the scenes, plans for a pivotal phone call between the leaders loom, contingent on Witkoff's debrief to Trump, as both nations navigate a labyrinth of mutual distrust and war-weary stakes. For now, it remains to be seen whether this fragile thread of diplomacy can unravel a deeper knot.