Vladimir Putin has been accused of offering a meaningless pause in fighting as a senior adviser to Donald Trump branded the Russian leader’s proposed three-day ceasefire “absurd” — and insisted Moscow is not winning the war in Ukraine. Retired Lieutenant General Keith Kellogg, President Trump’s special envoy to Ukraine, said the United States was pushing for a more substantial and lasting agreement, including a complete suspension of hostilities across land, air, sea and infrastructure.

Mr Kellogg told Fox News: “A three-day ceasefire is absurd. What the president wants is a permanent, comprehensive ceasefire — sea, air, land, infrastructure — for a minimum of 30 days, and then we can extend that. The president has this one right on the money, and that’s where we want to go to.” Mr Kellogg, who attended recent talks in London on behalf of the United States, said officials had drawn up a 22-point proposal to end the war.

He acknowledged Ukrainian negotiators had concerns about some aspects but suggested the process was nonetheless moving forward.

Mr Kellogg said: “When you look at everything the Ukrainians are willing to work with — now, it’s over to the Russians, over to Putin.

"We’ve got one side, now you need to come up the other side. And I think we’re close.”

He likened the situation to a long-distance race.

He said: “The first mile isn’t the hardest, it’s the last one that’s the hardest, and we’re in the last mile.”

He also issued a blunt assessment of Russia’s military record in Ukraine, arguing that Mr Putin’s forces had failed to achieve any decisive victories.

Mr Kellogg said: “Russia's not winning this war. Russia has not made any major advances in the last year and a half.

"They haven't taken the city of Kyiv, the capital, they haven't pushed to the west of the Dnipro river (which is the major river obstacle), they haven't taken Odesa.

“They've lost hundreds of thousands of soldiers and they haven't really moved anything."

"Russia moves by metres, not by miles. And the Ukrainians are fighting on their own soil, and they are fighting hard.

“So when Russia says they're winning — no, they're not. If they were winning, they would have already won this war.

"So I think they need to sit back and realise it. I think Ukraine's in a good position. The Europeans really stepped up.”

Since returning to the White House in January, Mr Trump has sought to cast himself as a pragmatic negotiator capable of brokering peace, despite years of criticism over his deferential tone toward the Kremlin.

His choice of Mr Kellogg has been seen by some as an effort to lend credibility to a controversial process.

Reports suggest the US is promoting a ceasefire deal that would freeze existing frontlines, prevent Ukraine from joining NATO, and offer unspecified security guarantees — a proposal that critics argue would reward Russian aggression.

Meanwhile, Mr Putin is said to be demanding recognition of four Ukrainian regions currently under partial Russian occupation, a position Kyiv has firmly rejected.

While Mr Kellogg claimed the talks were making headway, scepticism remains over whether Moscow intends to stop the war — or whether the latest ceasefire proposal is simply another delay tactic.

His remarks followed a Kremlin announcement that Mr Putin had ordered a temporary ceasefire from May 8 to 11 to mark the 80th anniversary of the Soviet Union’s victory over Nazi Germany. The move was met with immediate scepticism in Washington and outright rejection by Kyiv.

Ukraine’s Deputy Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha wrote on X: “If Russia truly wants peace, it must cease fire immediately. Why wait until May 8th? If the fire can be ceased now and since any date for 30 days—so it is real, not just for a parade.”