Vladimir Putin has said he would agree to a short-term ceasefire in Ukraine, but suggested he would only do so on his terms.

The Russian president said: “We agree with the proposals for the ceasefire, but our position is based on the assumption the ceasefire will lead to a long-term peace.”

That peace must address the “root causes” of the conflict, he said at a press conference alongside Alexander Lukashenko, his Belarusian counterpart.

The Russian leader has repeatedly ruled out a temporary ceasefire without guarantees that Ukraine would not join Nato. He also stressed that Russia will not return land seized from Ukraine.

Putin said he was broadly in favour of the US plan for a 30-day truce “but there are nuances”.

He said “serious questions” remain over how the ceasefire will be implemented and who will control it, adding that Russian forces are advancing across “practically” the entire front line.

His words come before he is due to meet Steve Witkoff, the US envoy, in a closed-door meeting tonight in Moscow. Putin suggested he could discuss the potential ceasefire with president Donald Trump.

Responding to his statements, Mr Trump said that it would be “very disappointing” if Russia rejected the US-backed truce proposal, adding that he hoped Putin “would do the right thing”.