Russia rebuffed incoming US President Donald Trump’s call for an immediate ceasefire in Ukraine, while saying it’s ready to hold negotiations on a long-lasting peace agreement to end almost three years of war.

Russia is open to improving relations with the incoming U.S. administration if serious intentions are shown but demands that Washington make the first move. Foreign Minister Lavrov emphasizes the need for a legally binding Ukraine peace deal,

Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Thursday that he was ready to compromise over Ukraine in possible talks with U.S. President-elect Donald Trump on ending the war and had no conditions for starting talks with the Ukrainian authorities.

US President-elect Donald Trump has said he’ll quickly negotiate an end to Russia’s war in Ukraine. This has got NATO allies wondering if he’ll withdraw US support for the government in Kyiv and force it to accept a permanent Russian occupation of Ukrainian land.

Ukraine and its supporters in Washington and Europe had worried that Trump would return to the White House with the view that Kyiv was the main barrier to ending the war. But the president-elect’s social media posts suggest he views Putin and not Ukraine as the problem, the two sources and former U.S. officials said.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has dismissed Donald Trump’s calls for an immediate ceasefire in Ukraine, labelling it a “path to nowhere.” While Lavrov expressed openness to dialogue, he emphasized security guarantees and long-term agreements as prerequisites.

In a significant development, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on Thursday signaled that Moscow is ready to engage in consultations with the incoming administration of US President-elect Donald Trump,