Putin willing to discuss Ukraine ceasefire with Trump if Zelenskyy drops NATO bid

Russian President Vladimir Putin is willing to discuss a ceasefire in Ukraine with U.S. President-elect Donald Trump, but only if Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy drops his country's NATO ambitions. This marks a shift in the Kremlin's stance on negotiations. Putin insists that any deal must reflect current territorial realities and rules out major concessions. Russia currently controls significant areas of Ukraine, including parts of Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson, while Kyiv has recently used U.S. missiles to strike Russian territory. The Kremlin is open to freezing the conflict along existing front lines and may consider withdrawing from some areas. However, Putin has stated that a ceasefire must ensure Ukraine's neutrality to maintain good relations between the two countries.