The United States has for the first time shifted the pressure to Russia in President Trump’s push for a ceasefire in Ukraine, after securing Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s support for a 30-day truce in the war.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio came out of talks in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday saying the geopolitical ball was now in Russian President Vladimir Putin’s court.

Steve Witkoff, special envoy and top Trump negotiator with Russia, was reportedly planning a meeting with Putin as soon as this week. Senate Republicans expressed doubt Wednesday that Russia would back the ceasefire and warned that Putin was not an honest broker.

“I am extremely skeptical that Russia will accept the ceasefire and I am very doubtful they want to end this war. Zelensky has passed the test of wanting peace. It is now up to Putin to show his cards,” Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) wrote in a post on the social platform X.

Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) shared a similar skepticism.

“I personally am skeptical, because [Putin’s] ideologically driven of wanting to restore the Russian empire, and he’s shown that he doesn’t respect any agreements,” Cornyn said.

“I think [a ceasefire is] kind of a necessary prerequisite to further more serious discussions. It’s not an end in and of itself, but at least hopefully people aren't being killed, so that’s a good thing.”

Trump signaled Wednesday that he could exert pressure on Putin if Russia holds back from joining a ceasefire agreement.

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