Putin aide dismisses ceasefire as military push continues in Kursk

An aide to Russian President Vladimir Putin has dismissed the possibility of a short-term ceasefire with Ukraine, calling it "nothing but a temporary respite" for Kyiv.

The statement comes as diplomatic efforts intensify, with US President Donald Trump's envoy, Steve Witkoff, currently in Moscow ahead of planned US-Russia discussions on a proposed 30-day ceasefire.

Meanwhile, Russia's military claims to have recaptured the key town of Sudzha in the Kursk region, which had previously been seized by Ukrainian forces. The Kremlin earlier stated that it was in the final stage of an operation aimed at driving Ukraine from territories it had crossed into over the border.

Putin made a surprise visit to Kursk on Wednesday. At the same time, Ukraine's top military commander, Oleksandr Syrsky, acknowledged that some Ukrainian troops were withdrawing from Kursk.

Despite the ongoing military clashes, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky reaffirmed his country's commitment to peace, stating that Ukraine is "determined" to work "as quickly as possible" with its international partners to achieve a resolution to the conflict.

However, President Putin has yet to publicly comment on the ceasefire proposal.