Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Thursday that Russia's Vladimir Putin is preparing a rejection of a ceasefire proposal, but is scared to say this directly to U.S. President Donald Trump.

The Trump administration said it was optimistic about the possibility of a ceasefire in the Ukraine conflict even as President Vladimir Putin appeared to reject US calls for immediate halt to the violence.

President Vladimir Putin has expressed support for a U.S. ceasefire proposal in Ukraine, though he emphasized the need for key clarifications and conditions. While U.S. President Donald Trump views Putin's statement as promising,