Vladimir Putin shock ceasefire announcement as he sends grim 'surrender or die' message to Ukraine

Vladimir Putin has declared that Ukrainian forces engaged in a counter-offensive will have to "surrender or die" before he consents to a ceasefire.

Today, Russia dismissed a US and Ukraine-crafted proposal for a 30-day ceasefire after lengthy talks in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday. Speaking at a press briefing with Belarusian president Alexander Lukashenko, Putin expressed gratitude towards Donald Trump for his efforts to broker an agreement but indicated he wouldn't accept the current terms.

He remarked: "We agree with the proposal for a ceasefire to cease hostilities, but we proceed from the fact that this ceasefire should lead to an enduring peace, and should remove the root causes of this crisis."

Putin also reflected on his recent trip to Kursk, where Russian forces are fending off a Ukrainian counteroffensive on their soil. He confidently stated "the situation is fully under our control, and the group that invaded our territory has been fully isolated".

The Russian president further asserted that the encircled Ukrainian troops have no escape route and must "surrender or die", pinpointing this conflict as a stumbling block to reaching an agreement, reports the Mirror.

Donald Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff touched down in Moscow today for crucial talks with Vladimir Putin, aiming to put an end to Russia's military actions in Ukraine. The real estate tycoon, who snagged a top foreign policy position in the White House under Trump, is set to have a sit-down with the Russian leader following confirmation from US officials and Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov, who disclosed that the meeting would be a closed-door affair at the Kremlin.

Kremlin aide Mr Ushakov has made it clear that Russia is not on board with the current ceasefire proposal, stating it would "give us nothing," and would merely allow "only give the Ukrainians a chance to regroup, consolidate their forces and keep doing the same in the future."

He emphasised that Putin is after a "long-term peaceful settlement that takes into account Moscow's interests and concerns", mirroring the Russian president's own words.

A defence and security expert shared with the Mirror his scepticism about the US's ability to sway Russia's stance, warning that the West might need to gear up for conflict with Russia within "the next decade". Michael Clarke remarked: "The only issue regarding Ukraine, in the Kremlin's mind, is the timescale in which they re-absorb Ukraine into Russia - next year or so, or wait until Trump is out of the White House."

The Kremlin, according to sources, is allegedly out to weaken Europe by any means and is feeling a surge of confidence in its strategy. "The Kremlin also has an agenda to weaken Europe in all ways possible and thinks it is on a roll now so there will be a sense of military momentum behind what Russia plans next."

An insider commented that any ceasefire struck would merely be a precarious pause: "Better than nothing but it hasn't got much doing for it and Russian will spin out the negotiations for a first 30-day truce to make it difficult for the US to pin down."

As tensions continue to mount, US President Donald Trump issued a stark warning to Vladimir Putin on Wednesday, outlining "devastating" repercussions should the Russian leader snub the proposed ceasefire agreement. "It's up to Russia now" Trump declared, hinting at the imposition of additional crippling sanctions following Russia's previous dismissal of suggested peace terms.

Speaking to journalists from the Oval Office, Trump outlined potential economic strikes against Russia: "I can do things financially that would be very bad for Russia. It would be devastating for Russia. But I don't want to do that because I want to see peace."

He even referenced a problematic encounter with Zelensky: "We're getting close to maybe getting something done. As you know, I've always said that Ukraine might be the more difficult party. I had somebody that didn't want peace, now he wants peace."

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