Vladimir Putin has signaled that he is ready to consider an immediate ceasefire in Ukraine, although this will be under strict and potentially controversial conditions, the Daily Mail reports, citing sources close to the Kremlin.
As Donald Trump insists on brokering a peace deal, the Kremlin appears to be using this opportunity to achieve its own strategic goals.
The international community has been left bewildered as Trump, in a stunning reversal of long-standing US policy, has turned to Moscow while simultaneously putting increased pressure on Ukraine to negotiate.
We are doing very well with Russia, Trump said candidly from the Oval Office on Friday. "Frankly, I find it harder to deal with Ukraine".
Reports from the Kremlin suggest that Russia is open to a temporary cessation of hostilities, but only if certain preconditions are met.
According to people familiar with the high-level talks, they include a specific framework for a final peace agreement and a carefully selected list of countries to participate in a future peacekeeping mission.
But such a condition has raised concerns among Ukraine and its Western allies, who fear that any such agreement would be skewed in Moscow's favor.
The Trump administration has been quietly exploring ways to ease economic sanctions on Russia, including revising restrictions on oil sales, a move that has alarmed European allies.
But on Friday he warned Moscow that he was "strongly considering" imposing sanctions and tariffs on Russia until a ceasefire and peace agreement is reached.
The Treasury Department is considering possible sanctions against major Russian oil and oilfield services companies, deepening steps already taken by the administration of former President Joe Biden in January.
Sean Savet, a former spokesman for the National Security Council under Biden, said Trump's comments on the sanctions amounted to an "admission of naivety" regarding Russian President Vladimir Putin, whose forces fired 67 missiles and nearly 200 drones into Ukraine overnight.
At least 10 people were injured in the shelling, which also hit homes.
"Not only was he clearly wrong when he repeatedly claimed that Putin wanted peace, but his actions to pressure Ukraine have made peace less achievable by strengthening Putin's hand instead of Ukraine's," he said.
Russia, one of the world's largest oil producers, is already subject to more than 20,000 sanctions imposed by the US and its partners since its invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
The US alone has imposed 6,433 sanctions on Russia since February 2022. since, with measures by other countries including the UK, Australia, the European Union and Canada bringing the total to 21,692, according to a sanctions dashboard compiled by Castellum.AI, a global risk and compliance platform.
The US sanctions on Russia include measures aimed at curbing its oil and gas revenues, including a $60 per barrel cap on Russian oil exports.
It marks a change in tone after Trump alarmed his allies with warm words about how much he trusts President Vladimir Putin and calls for Moscow to be readmitted to the G7.
A senior administration official said that "the president has been toughening up on Russia as he tries to get both sides to the table".
Trump took to his social media platform Truth to vent his fury.
"Based on the fact that Russia is currently absolutely "hitting" Ukraine on the battlefield, I am strongly considering large-scale banking sanctions, sanctions and tariffs against Russia until a ceasefire and a final peace agreement are reached,” he wrote.
“To Russia and Ukraine, sit down at the negotiating table now before it is too late.”
He offered no further details about his plans.
Meanwhile, the U.S. and Ukrainian governments are trying to mend ties during a crucial meeting scheduled for next Tuesday in Saudi Arabia.
Trump’s decision to temporarily suspend military aid and intelligence sharing with Kiev follows a heated exchange in the Oval Office with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at the White House last week.
The strike only served to further destabilize the situation, leaving Ukraine at risk as Russian forces continue to bomb key cities.
However, Trump also showed some optimism, saying, “I believe Putin wants peace in Ukraine”.
Last week, the Trump administration voted against a UN resolution marking the third anniversary of the war by condemning the Russian invasion.
On Thursday, it emerged that key allies were considering whether to withhold sensitive intelligence from Washington, fearing it could be shared with Russia.
Trump's strong words came as Russia continued to attack Ukraine and amid signs it was about to launch a major spring offensive.
Trump had promised to end the conflict on his first day in office, but the complexity of the task means he has given up on that goal, but still wants to end the war as quickly as possible.
Zelensky, meanwhile, finds himself in an unenviable position.
His administration has been working tirelessly behind the scenes to keep the talks going while resisting what some see as an attempt to force Ukraine to accept unfavourable terms.
In his nightly address, Zelensky reiterated Kiev’s position: “The Kremlin must be forced to make peace.”
Despite Ukraine’s efforts, Putin remains firm in his demands.
According to sources close to the Russian government, Moscow will reject any ceasefire proposal that includes NATO troops stationed on Ukrainian territory.
This effectively nullifies the Franco-British initiative aimed at deploying of a "coalition of the willing" to monitor and enforce any eventual ceasefire.
Trump's reversal on Ukraine has sent shockwaves through European capitals, where officials warn that a premature agreement could embolden Russian aggression.
The risk of rewarding Putin's invasion is very real, an unnamed European diplomat said. "Lifting sanctions now could set a dangerous precedent.
Despite the appearance of flexibility, Putin has not softened his stance on Ukraine.
At his annual press conference in December, he reiterated his long-standing position: "We don't need a truce - we need peace: long-term, lasting, with guarantees for the Russian Federation and its citizens."
The declaration underscores the Kremlin's insistence on consolidating its territorial gains and ensuring that any agreement serves Russia's long-term strategic interests.
Just this week, Moscow rejected a proposed Franco-British truce that would limit air and naval operations, calling it "insufficient and unrealistic".
Russia is planning to test the unity of the West. German intelligence has warned of a threat from Moscow. In an interview with Deutsche Welle, German intelligence director Bruno Kahl, quoted by FOCUS, stated that the Kremlin is considering testing the reliability of NATO's Article 5, which stipulates that an attack on one ally is considered an attack on all, dpa reports.
"Putin will test the strength of the Alliance. We very much hope that this is not the case and that we will not have to find ourselves in a difficult situation to test this article. However, we must proceed from the fact that Russia wants to test us, to put the unity of the West at risk," says Kal.
According to him, when exactly Moscow might do something like this depends on the course of the war in Ukraine.
If the war in Ukraine ends before 2029 or 2030, Russia will be able to direct its technical, material and human resources to attack Europe.
The intelligence officer does not rule out the possibility that a specific threat or attempt to blackmail Europeans by Russia could happen earlier than expected.
The head of Finnish intelligence also expressed a similar opinion. Juha Martelius believes that the end of the war in Ukraine will free up resources for Russian aggression against other countries.
Kahl noted that Russia sees the future world order as similar to the situation in Europe in the late 1990s - with the expansion of its sphere of influence in the West, preferably without the presence of the United States in Europe.
Hungary and the United States will agree on an economic cooperation package that will help the Hungarian economy and could offset the effect of possible American tariffs, Prime Minister Viktor Orban said today, quoted by Reuters and FOCUS.
Orban, a long-time supporter of US President Donald Trump, said that the economic package would expand the already existing political alliance between Hungary and the United States.
He also said such an economic agreement would help Hungary even if a trade war breaks out between the United States and the European Union.
US President Donald Trump said last week that his administration would soon announce a 25% tariff on EU goods, which the Republican leader said were designed to “screw up“ the United States.
“Hungary will suffer losses in a trade war, like all European Union member states. We don't know the extent yet, but we can be sure that it will happen,“ Orbán told the annual conference of the Hungarian Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
Hungarian officials are already negotiating the renewal of a tax agreement between the two countries that was terminated by the previous US administration, Orbán said.