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 Ukraine even as President Vladimir Putin appeared to reject US calls for immediate halt to the violence.Instead the Russian leader demanded Ukraine to order troops who had occupied land in the Kursk region to surrender.

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,