NYT: Rubio said when the US expects a ceasefire in Ukraine.

The US is interested in a ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine

According to The New York Times, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said he hopes for the establishment of a ceasefire regime between Russia and Ukraine 'in the coming days' if the Russian side agrees to the American proposal.

Ukrainian officials have already agreed to the American proposal for a 30-day temporary ceasefire after a meeting with US representatives in Jeddah (Saudi Arabia).

'This is how we would like to see the world in a few days: no side shooting at each other — no rockets, no shells, no bullets, nothing, no artillery,' — Rubio told reporters.

Dmitry Peskov, the press secretary of the President of Russia, stated on Wednesday that the Kremlin is 'carefully studying' the results of the negotiations. He noted the possibility of a new phone conversation between Putin and Trump, signaling that the Kremlin views the ceasefire proposal as part of a broader diplomatic process.

CIA Director John Ratcliffe held talks on Tuesday with his Russian counterpart Sergey Naryshkin, Russian news agencies reported on Wednesday. According to The New York Times, Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff, who met with Putin for several hours last month, plans to return to Russia in the coming days.

Putin may be influenced by progress in expelling Ukrainian troops

Putin's decision may also be influenced by Russia's progress in expelling Ukrainian troops from the Kursk region, where Ukraine occupied several hundred square kilometers of territory last August. Zelensky previously stated that he planned to use this territory as a trump card in future negotiations, but the Kremlin signaled that it would refuse to negotiate while Ukraine retains this territory.

Now that the Kursk region has mostly returned under Russian control, Putin no longer risks 'losing face' by agreeing to a ceasefire, said Sergey Markov, a pro-Kremlin political analyst from Moscow.

Popular Russian military bloggers showed little enthusiasm for a ceasefire on Wednesday. Some expressed concerns that a truce could ultimately lead to a broader deal with the US that they believe would betray the original war aims.

Recall that Trump and Vence shared expectations from Putin regarding a ceasefire in Ukraine: 'there are signals.'