MOSCOW (RUSSIA) (ITALPRESS) – Russian President Vladimir Putin is not closing to the possibility of a ceasefire in Ukraine, but warns that “several aspects need to be clarified” and above all “new consultations are needed” with U.S. colleagues, “perhaps with President Trump.”
In a live televised broadcast, the Kremlin chief thus takes stock of the day that saw White House national security adviser Mike Waltz and Trump envoy Steve Witkoff in Moscow. At the center of the discussions was the proposal made by the United States, and already accepted by Kiev, for a 30-day ceasefire in Ukraine.
An idea that Putin did not reject out of hand, but which he said needs several clarifications that would enable its implementation. “If we stop fighting for 30 days, what does that mean? That everyone there will leave without fighting?” asked Putin.
The Kremlin chief then recalled that the front line is almost two thousand kilometers long in total. “And so the question is the following. What will be the possibilities of control, of verification? How will we be able to be sure? I would hope that it is well understood, through the common sense of everyone, that these things need to be understood. Who will give the orders for the ceasefire and what is the price of these orders?” the Kremlin chief continued.
According to Putin, “the idea in itself of the ceasefire is right,” and Moscow is ready to support it, but, he reiterated again, “there are issues that need to be discussed, and I think we need to talk about it with American colleagues and partners, and maybe have a phone conversation with President Trump.” For Putin, in conclusion, we need to talk directly with the head of the White House “precisely on the idea of ending this conflict peacefully, (an idea) that we certainly support.”
The Russian president’s words were preceded later in the day by those of presidential adviser, Yuri Ushakov, who more sharply referred to a temporary cease-fire as “a truce only in favor of the Ukrainian army.”
Ushakov, commenting on the outcome of his talks with U.S. colleague Waltz, told broadcaster Rossiya 1 that Moscow sees “a peace agreement” as a long-term goal. “We are striving for this, that is, for a peace agreement that takes into account the legitimate interests of our side,” Ushakov stressed.
Speaking in parallel was Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova, who in her daily press briefing called the idea of a European peacekeeping force on Ukrainian soil “unacceptable.” “It is unacceptable for us to deploy military units of other states in Ukraine, under any flag,” Zakharova said, adding that such an idea would result in “the involvement of those states in a direct conflict” with Russia, to which Moscow would respond “with all available means.”
The spokeswoman then softened her tone when mentioning the U.S. administration. “It is significant that Washington distances itself from the plans of London and Paris, at least in words, on the deployment of a military contingent of any kind in Ukraine,” Zakharova noted.
The Russia-US talks in Moscow closely follow those held on March 11 in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, between Washington and Kiev delegations. This first stage of talks had ended with the Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelensky, saying yes to the possibility of a 30-day ceasefire.
Another major achievement had been the release of U.S. aid in the form of arms supplies and exchange of intelligence information. As U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio later revealed, thornier details were also discussed in Jeddah. “We talked about territorial concessions, but we don’t comment publicly on that,” Rubio told reporters returning from his mission to Saudi Arabia.
-Photo Ipa/Agency-
(ITALPRESS).
