WASHINGTON: The United States has rejected a proposal by Russian President Vladimir Putin of a ceasefire in Ukraine after contacts between intermediaries, Western media reported on Tuesday quoting three Russian sources as saying.
A US source dismissed any official contact and said Washington would not engage in those discussions that did not involve Ukraine.
Putin had sent signals to US in 2023 in public and privately through intermediaries, about his willingness to consider a ceasefire in Ukraine, the Russian sources said.
The Russian president proposed to pause the conflict at the current lines but was unwilling to quit any of the Ukrainian territory controlled by Russia.
A senior Russian source having knowledge of the discussions told Reuters on condition of anonymity due to sensitivity of the matter, that the contacts with the Americans had failed to produce any break- through.
Another Russian source said that the Americans told Moscow, that they would not discuss a possible ceasefire without the participation of Ukraine.
A third source said that everything fell apart in the talks with the Americans.
The development comes as US President Joe Biden has been pushing Congress to approve more assistance for Ukraine, but has faced strong opposition from allies of Republican presidential nomination frontrunner Donald Trump.
US denies any talks
A US official, on condition of anonymity, said that the US has not started any back-channel talks with Russia and that Washington would not go behind the back of Ukraine.
The official said media have been reporting “Track II” conversations between US and Russians but actually the United States has not engaged in such talks.
Russian President had sent thousands of troops into Ukraine in February 2022, starting a full-scale war after eight years of conflict in eastern Ukraine between Ukrainian and Russian forces.
Ukraine says it is fighting a war for its existence and would not surrender to Putin’s invasion. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has said he will never accept Russia’s control over Ukrainian territory.
