Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin has said he “agrees” with the US proposal to end hostilities, but it should “lead to a long-term peace.”
He said those words during a press conference with self-proclaimed President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko. Putin was asked what Russia’s response to the proposal for a “30-day truce” would be.
Putin’s response to the truce proposed by the US is vague.
In response, he said that Russia agrees with the proposals to end hostilities, but they “should lead to long-term peace and eliminate the root causes of the crisis.”
“We agree with the proposals to end the hostilities, but we proceed from the fact that this cessation should be such that it would lead to long-term peace and eliminate the root causes of the crisis,” Putin said.
He said that “the idea itself is correct, but there are issues that we need to discuss with our American colleagues,” and, he said, possibly with US President Donald Trump.
The leader of the Kremlin asserts that a ceasefire must address numerous unresolved questions. In particular, how the issues of control and verification will be resolved, who will determine who has violated what along the 2,000-kilometer frontline.
Following a meeting in Saudi Arabia on March 11, Ukraine agreed to the immediate introduction of a 30-day ceasefire if Russia also takes this step. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said that the United States would submit a ceasefire proposal to Russia and hoped for its agreement.
US intelligence: Putin has not abandoned the idea of conquering Ukraine
U.S. intelligence estimates that Russian leader Vladimir Putin has not given up on his goal of controlling Ukraine amid the Donald Trump administration’s efforts to stop the fighting in Ukraine.
The story was reported by The Washington Post, citing classified US intelligence reports.
US intelligence reports, including those published earlier this month, question Putin’s willingness to end the war against Ukraine. They estimate that the Russian leader has not retreated from his maximalist goal of dominating Ukraine.
One of the secret assessments circulated among members of the Trump administration, dated March 6, says that Putin remains determined to maintain his grip on Kyiv, according to a person familiar with the document.
Several current and former U.S. officials told the newspaper that the Russian leader, even if he agrees to a temporary truce, will use it to rebuild and rearm his troops. They believe that Putin is likely to violate the terms of the agreement by creating a provocation that he will blame on Ukraine.
Other officials said that intelligence reports have been more cautious about what terms of peace Putin might agree to. But they acknowledged that there was no indication that Putin had backed down from his demand to bring Ukraine into Russia’s orbit. “He has a long-standing desire to restore ‘Mother Russia,’” one official said.
Trump: Russia’s rejection of the ceasefire will be disappointing for the world
US President Donald Trump said that if Russia does not agree to a 30-day ceasefire, it will be “disappointing for the world.”
He said those words during a meeting with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte. Trump said that if Russia does not agree to a 30-day ceasefire, it will be “disappointing for the world.” According to him, the ceasefire is the “first stage” of negotiations.
He also revealed that discussions have already taken place regarding many details of the final agreement between Ukraine and the United States.
“We discussed the saved and lost land plots and other final agreement elements with Ukraine. We are talking about a power plant (Zaporizhzhia NPP—Ed.), a huge power plant. Who gets the power plant? Who gets this and that? So, you know, it’s not an easy process,” he said.
According to the US president, NATO and Russia’s presence in the Russian-occupied territories of Ukraine were also discussed by US representatives with representatives of Ukraine. Trump also mentioned Ukraine’s membership in NATO and said that “everyone knows what the answer to that question is.”
Waltz: Trump to make further decisions after receiving Witkoff’s brief
US National Security Advisor Mike Waltz said that Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff would bring back to the US after the meetings in Moscow an assessment according to which Donald Trump would make further decisions to resolve the Russian-Ukrainian war. He said this on Fox News.
Waltz said that the Trump administration is “cautiously optimistic” after the last meeting with the Ukrainian delegation in Jeddah and Putin’s statement on his conditions for ending the war. He noted that Trump will make further decisions after Vitkoff briefs him on the results of the talks in Moscow.
“I spoke with my colleague, Special Envoy Vitkoff, who was there (in Moscow), and he is bringing us an assessment that President Trump will decide on the next steps,” Waltz said.
Will Ukraine obtain a just and lasting peace?
Political experts remind us that Putin has repeatedly violated agreements and international treaties, including Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine (violating the Budapest Memorandum and Minsk agreements). Both U.S. intelligence and analysts in Ukraine believe that the Kremlin will use any ceasefire to regroup its forces and prepare for new hostilities.
Ukrainian and European officials have repeatedly emphasized that Ukraine needs a sustainable and lasting peace, security guarantees, and protection from a potential re-invasion of Ukraine.
So far, no significant and trustworthy security guarantees for Ukraine have been announced in the current negotiation process.
