Russia open to local Ukraine truces but says war will continue

Russia said on Monday it was open to short-term humanitarian ceasefires in Ukraine but would not halt its military campaign as Moscow and Kyiv prepare to resume US-mediated peace talks in November.

Russia said on Monday it was open to short-term humanitarian ceasefires in Ukraine but would not halt its military campaign as Moscow and Kyiv prepare to resume US-mediated peace talks in November.

The Kremlin’s comments came ahead of a planned local ceasefire in the Russian-occupied southern Ukrainian town of Oleshky, intended to allow humanitarian aid deliveries and civilian evacuations amid severe shortages of food, water and medicine. The truce was brokered with the involvement of US First Lady Melania Trump.

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Asked whether Moscow would consider other local truces, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters: “For humanitarian purposes, absolutely.”

But he stressed that the resumption of negotiations would not limit Russian military operations.

“The decision to resume trilateral talks does not imply any restrictions on combat operations,” Peskov said.

“Our armed forces continue to carry out massive strikes on Ukraine’s military-industrial complex,” he added.

Ukraine, Russia and the United States are expected to hold technical-level talks in the first half of November, with Abu Dhabi or Switzerland under consideration as possible venues. The discussions are part of renewed US efforts to end the war, which began with Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

Moscow has continued to press for a settlement that addresses its security demands and territorial claims. Ukraine has rejected Russian demands for further territorial concessions and has called for strong security guarantees as part of any peace agreement.

The planned humanitarian truce in Oleshky is limited in scope and does not amount to a broader ceasefire. Previous rounds of negotiations have failed to produce a lasting agreement, while fighting and Russian strikes on Ukraine have continued.