Putin: Russia agrees with proposals to end hostilities

Russian President Vladimir Putin makes first statements in response to USA's proposal to introduce a 30-day ceasefire in Ukrtaine:

Photo: commons.wikimedia.org by Presidential Executive Office of Russia, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Vladimir Putin

"Russia agrees with proposals to end hostilities. Yet, Moscow proceeds from the assumption that such proposals should lead to long-term peace and eradicate the root cause of the conflict."

"How will these 30 days [of the proposed ceasefire] be used? Will they be used for forced mobilization to continue in Ukraine, for more weapons to be supplied, for the newly mobilized to continue their training? And how will issues of control and verification be resolved? How can we be guaranteed that none of this will happen? Who will be issuing the orders to cease hostilities, and what will be the cost of those orders?" Putin said following a meeting with Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko.

The head of state emphasized that the ceasefire proposal had its nuances. In particular, it must take into account the situation on the ground, which is unfavorable for the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

"The situation there is completely under our control, and the group that invaded our territory is isolated. It is in total isolation and under full fire control," Putin said.

After the meeting between US and Ukrainian delegations in Jeddah on March 11, both sides announced that Kyiv had agreed to Washington's proposal for a 30-day ceasefire, provided that Moscow also takes this step. In exchange for Kyiv's agreement, the United States decided to resume military aid and intelligence sharing.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio expressed confidence that if Russia agrees, a ceasefire agreement could be reached "within a few days."