US rejects Putin’s proposal to cease fire 

The United States has rejected a proposal of Russian President Vladimir Putin for a ceasefire in Ukraine.

The proposal was placed to freeze the ongoing conflict, following discussions between intermediaries.

According to three Russian sources, mediators met in Türkiye near the end of 2023.

A US official said he was unaware of informal contacts through intermediaries.

According to three Russian sources, Putin's signal was relayed to Washington, where senior US officials gathered, including White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan, Central Intelligence Agency director Bill Burns, and US Secretary of State Antony Blinken.

According to one Russian source, Sullivan planned to speak with Putin's foreign policy adviser, Yuri Ushakov, to determine next steps.