The United States called on Russia at the United Nations Security Council on Thursday to accept a comprehensive ceasefire proposal in Ukraine, calling it “Russia’s best possible outcome” and urging President Vladimir Putin to seize the opportunity for peace.

The US proposal includes a 30-day halt to all hostilities—land, air, sea, and attacks on critical infrastructure, and has already been accepted by Ukraine, pending Russia’s agreement. Speaking at the Security Council, Acting Deputy US Ambassador John Kelley emphasized that Washington is committed to a diplomatic resolution, not a military one.

“We want to work with Russia, including on this peace initiative and an economic package. There is no military solution to this conflict,” Kelley stated, while warning that continued Russian aggression could force the US to pull back from peace negotiations and impose harsher sanctions.

US President Donald Trump has made ending the Ukraine war a key foreign policy goal. The conflict, which began in February 2022 with Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, has persisted despite international pressure and failed peace efforts.

The recent peace talks between Ukraine and Russia on May 16 ended without agreement. Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Moscow has drafted a memorandum outlining its terms for a ceasefire but has yet to share it with Ukraine. A second round of talks is proposed for Monday in Istanbul.

Russia’s UN Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia reiterated Moscow’s commitment to direct negotiations, warning that Kyiv must choose between diplomacy or defeat.

“The ball is in Ukraine’s court: either talks, followed by peace or the unavoidable defeat of Ukraine on the battlefield with different conditions for the conflict’s end,” Nebenzia told the Security Council.

However, Ukraine’s Deputy UN Ambassador Khrystyna Hayovyshyn accused Russia of lacking genuine interest in peace and reaffirmed Ukraine’s stance: no recognition of Russian-occupied territories, no compromises on sovereignty, and no tolerance for aggression.

“We will not tolerate interference in sovereign decisions, including our defense or alliances. There must be no appeasement of the aggressor. Such attempts only embolden future aggression,” Hayovyshyn stated, urging the international community to tighten sanctions against Moscow.