Russia plays hardball over a ceasefire deal as U.S. officials head to Moscow

U.S. negotiators are in Moscow for Ukraine war ceasefire talks on Thursday, but Russia's willingness to buy into the terms of a temporary truce devised without its input is still in question.

Russia is under pressure to sign up to the White House-brokered 30-day ceasefire agreement, which the U.S. says will show whether the Kremlin is serious about ending the war against Ukraine.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the ball was in Russia's court after he and Ukrainian officials came up with a ceasefire deal earlier in the week. Meanwhile, U.S. President Donald Trump on Wednesday said that it would be financially "devastating" for Russia if it did not agree to a truce, hinting that more sanctions could be imposed on the country if it did not acquiesce.

But the mood music coming out of Moscow on Thursday ahead of the talks was not positive. Yuri Ushakov, a Russian presidential aide, refrained from telling state media whether Russia will reject Trump's ceasefire deal, but noted that a truce would give Ukraine a chance to boost its forces.

Ushakov said he had conveyed this position to U.S. national security advisor Mike Waltz during a call Wednesday.

"This is nothing else than a temporary respite for the Ukrainian military, nothing more. We believe that our goal is still a long-term peaceful settlement, we are striving for this. A peaceful settlement that takes into account the legitimate interests of our country - our concerns," he said, according to an NBC News translation.

The comments come after a U.S. delegation led by Trump's special envoy, Steve Witkoff, arrived in Moscow for talks on Thursday, the Kremlin confirmed, while tempering expectations as to the possible outcome of the meeting.

"The negotiators are flying in,