Russia Signals Willingness for Ukraine Deal Amid Trump’s Ceasefire Push

Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Thursday that Moscow is ready to reach a deal to end the war in Ukraine, following an appeal from former U.S. President Donald Trump to halt missile and drone strikes. “We are ready to reach a deal, but there are still some specific points… which need to be fine-tuned, and we are busy with this,” Lavrov said in an interview with CBS News. He added that talks with Washington were progressing in the right direction and would continue.

Trump’s envoy Steve Witkoff is expected in Russia on Friday for another round of ceasefire discussions with President Vladimir Putin. Lavrov praised Trump as “probably the only leader on Earth who recognised the need to address the root causes of this situation,” though he noted Trump had “not spelled out the elements of the deal.” Trump, meanwhile, responded to the latest deadly strikes on Kyiv by directly calling on Putin to stop. “Not necessary, and very bad timing. Vladimir, STOP!” he posted on social media.

At least 12 people were killed and 90 injured in Kyiv’s Sviatoshinsky district following overnight strikes, according to Ukraine’s state emergency services. The Ukrainian air force reported Russia had launched at least 70 missiles and 145 drones between late Wednesday and early Thursday, with Kyiv as the main target. Russia claimed it had struck military-related facilities, including rocket fuel and gunpowder plants. Lavrov told CBS News, “We only target military goals or civilian sites used by the military.”

Zelensky said Russian forces launched ground attacks under the cover of the massive aerial bombardment. “Basically, the Russians tried to go on the offence under the cover of their massive strike,” he posted on X, adding that most Ukrainian forces had been focused on missile and drone defense. Olena Davydiuk, a 33-year-old lawyer in Kyiv, described chaos after the strikes: “People were being pulled out of the rubble… windows breaking and doors falling out of their hinges.”

Zelensky cut short a trip to South Africa to return to Ukraine in the aftermath of the attack. He questioned whether Ukraine’s allies were doing enough to pressure Russia into agreeing to a ceasefire. “I don’t see any strong pressure on Russia or any new sanctions packages against Russia’s aggression,” he said. He also highlighted that Trump had warned of consequences if Moscow did not pause its offensive.

Trump, who has often been accused of favoring Russia and criticizing Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, said the biggest concession Russia had offered was “stopping taking the whole country.” When asked about Crimea, Trump blamed Zelensky for obstructing peace by not recognizing Russia’s claim, calling the peninsula “lost years ago.” Moscow annexed Crimea in 2014, a move not recognized by the international community.

Responding to questions about Crimea, Zelensky said Ukraine is abiding by its Constitution and laws: “We do everything that our partners have proposed; only what contradicts our legislation and the Constitution we cannot do.” In contrast, NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte placed the responsibility for advancing talks squarely on Moscow. “The balls are clearly in the Russian court now,” Rutte said after a meeting with Trump at the White House.

Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, aiming for a quick takeover. However, it has since been embroiled in a prolonged and bloody conflict, with massive casualties on both sides. While Kyiv is typically better protected than other Ukrainian cities, Thursday’s strikes were among the deadliest in months. Zelensky said that Russia used a North Korean ballistic missile in the attacks and reiterated that Ukraine remains under constant threat from both air and ground assaults.