Overview

• U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov held a phone call to discuss next steps in ceasefire negotiations facilitated by Saudi Arabia.
• Ukraine has agreed in principle to a 30-day unconditional ceasefire if Russia halts its attacks in eastern Ukraine, though Russia has yet to commit and has set additional conditions.
• Russian President Vladimir Putin, seen in combat attire on the Koursk front, has expressed reservations about the ceasefire, viewing it as potentially advantageous for Ukrainian regrouping.
• Ukraine has established a monitoring team to oversee any potential ceasefire, citing past violations by Russian forces and the complexity of managing a 1,300-kilometer front line.
• The U.S. has signaled cautious optimism about peace talks, emphasizing the difficulty of achieving lasting peace without reducing current hostilities.