Russia Says It's Open to 'New Ideas' on Ending War, But Only on Putin's Terms

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov said Moscow is 'ready to listen to any reasonable proposals and ideas that are in line with the goals set by the Russian president,' as US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner prepared renewed shuttle diplomacy between Kyiv and Moscow. Putin's stated preconditions remain unchanged: Ukraine must cede the entirety of the eastern Donbas region, demilitarize, and pledge never to seek NATO membership before any ceasefire. The statement came as Zelensky said Ukraine and its partners had developed a joint pressure plan against Putin and reiterated Kyiv is 'ready for any format of negotiations capable of bringing about a just and lasting peace.'