Putin's words: what he really means and what he says

Putin's words: what he really means and what he says

There is often a gap between what Russian President Vladimir Putin says, and what he actually means. When asked about the US-backed proposal for one 30 day ceasefire in Ukraine, Putin gave a long and convoluted answer during a news conference on Thursday. Some of his sentences were made for the cameras and, taken out of context, sounded very favorable to the Trump administration's plan, to which Ukraine has already agreed.

Putin's surprising promise and the reality

In his response, Putin began by declaring: “We agree to the proposal” – a quote that made headlines around the world. But he made it clear that Moscow is not ready to agree on an actual agreement soon.

In his full response, Putin turned the idea around - demanding concessions from Kiev, asking numerous questions and repeating the maximalist demands that Russia has espoused since the start of its all-out invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

Trump commented positively on Putin's response, saying in optimistic tones that it was "promising... but not yet complete."

Russia's tactics and the role of NATO

A closer look at Putin's statements makes it clear that Russia is buying time and remained in his long-standing positions. “We agree with the proposal to end hostilities, but we must keep in mind that this ceasefire should be aimed at long-term peace and the causes of the crisis must be considered,” Putin said.

It is not the first time that Putin has pushed to eliminate what he calls the “causes” of the war. The Kremlin has previously claimed that the current democratically elected Ukrainian government is part of these causes.

Putin's view of Ukraine and his demands

One of the Kremlin's reasons for going to war is that the election of President Volodymyr Zelensky was illegitimate. Putin wants a pro-Russian leader in Ukraine instead. In recent weeks, Trump has echoed the Kremlin's demands to replace Zelensky and even claimed that the Ukrainian president is a dictator.

The “causes” also refer to the Kremlin’s claims that Russia feels threatened by NATO’s eastward expansion after the Cold War. This reflects Putin's desire for the military alliance to withdraw from former communist states that were part of the Soviet sphere of influence, such as Poland, Romania and the Czech Republic.

Putin has repeatedly used NATO as an excuse for his invasion of Ukraine and has demanded that Kiev be barred from NATO membership and accept permanent neutrality.

Questions about a potential ceasefire

“For Putin, the ‘cause’ of the conflict is Ukraine’s desire to be an independent country and to be able to choose its own path in domestic and foreign policy,” says Brian Taylor, a professor of political science at Syracuse University. He also raised several questions about the details of a possible ceasefire, which required precise clarification from the Ukrainian authorities.

"Who will give the orders to end hostilities and what will be the price? Who will determine who violated the ceasefire, where and how? And who will later be accused of violating it?" Putin noted. These questions illustrate his opposition to European proposals to station peacekeepers on the ground in Ukraine in the event of an agreement. The Kremlin has already stated that a presence of NATO troops in Ukraine, even under national flags, would be unacceptable.

Putin's strategic delay

Putin's reference to "painstaking research from both sides" suggests that he wants to delay the negotiations for a long time. His delay could be a tactic to buy time for Russia's advances in the Kursk region, where Ukraine still holds portions of territory. Russian troops have made rapid progress this week to To retake ground in Kursk, which could remove one of Kiev's few leverages in the course of peace talks.

Putin's criticism of US policy

"As for Ukraine's readiness to end hostilities - you know, the American-Ukrainian meeting in Saudi Arabia may at first glance look like a decision of the Ukrainian side under American pressure. But I am absolutely convinced that the Ukrainian side should have demanded this from the Americans in the most urgent manner, based on the developing situation on the ground," Putin added.

Here Putin argues that it is not the United States but Ukraine that is actually pushing for a ceasefire. However, the Trump administration has repeatedly stressed that it wants a quick resolution to the war and has publicly stated that Ukraine holds no cards in the peace negotiations.

"I think we'll be in a very good position to get this done. We want to get this over with," Trump said in the Oval Office after Putin made his comments. Putin repeated the Kremlin's argument several times during his news conference on Thursday that a temporary 30-day ceasefire would benefit Ukraine to potentially regroup and obtain more weapons. (Russia would also benefit from a reorganization.)

Criticism of Zelenskyj's desire for peace

This could be an attempt to prey on the idea that Zelensky does not want to achieve long-term peace - a narrative that Russia is pushing despite the unprovoked invasion of Ukraine in 2014 and the all-out invasion in 2022. “It seems to me very good that the Ukrainian side reaches a ceasefire for at least 30 days, and we are for it, but there are nuances,” Putin said.

Russia's "opposition" while insisting on lengthy negotiations and introducing "nuances" reflects well Putin's position on a possible ceasefire: Did the Russian leader want it to sound favorable to Trump and express solidarity with his position? Yes.

Has Russia actually softened its previous demands? It doesn't look like it. “Putin's response appears to be carefully worded to sell Trump a 'yes,' but effectively a 'no' unless Ukraine is forced to bow to Russian demands,” Syracuse's Taylor said.