President Vladimir Putin's top foreign policy aide said on Thursday a 30-day ceasefire proposed by the United States to pause the war in Ukraine would give Russia "nothing" while gifting Kyiv's forces a much-needed battlefield respite.

Why it matters: The U.S. and Ukraine both endorsed an unconditional 30-day ceasefire on Tuesday that calls for all air and artillery strikes to stop and fighting to cease all along the front lines. Putin raised doubts about that idea, and said any ceasefire should also be part of a process that addresses the "root causes of this crisis."

The Russian Defense Ministry’s claim that it recaptured the town of Sudzha, hours after President Vladimir Putin visited his commanders in the region, could not be independently verified.