Responding to Ukraine’s acceptance of a U.S.-brokered 30-day ceasefire agreement on Thursday, Russian President Vladimir Putin attempted to manipulate President Donald Trump regarding Russia’s acceptance of that agreement.

Ever the KGB-trained manipulator, Putin knows he cannot outright reject Trump’s overture. To do so would invite Trump’s wrath and crystalize for the president what is known to most other objective observers, namely that Russia remains the primary aggressor in this conflict and the major obstacle to its just resolution. To counter this perception, Putin suggested that a ceasefire was “good” and that “we absolutely support it.” Just as long as, that is, the ceasefire addressed certain “nuances.”