Russian President Vladimir Putin said Thursday that Russia agreed with US proposals for a high fire in Ukraine, but any truce would have to deal with the fundamental causes of the conflict and that many crucial details had to be resolved.
The invasion of Ukraine in Russia in early 2022 has left hundreds of thousands of dead and injured, displaced millions of people, reduced cities to the rubble and caused the most acute confrontation between Moscow and the West in decades.
Putin’s support, although warned, for the proposal of Alto El Fuego de USA. Uu. It offers the best opportunity so far to put an end to the greatest conflict in Europe since World War II, since Ukraine had also accepted the proposal in the conversations at the beginning of the week.
“We agree with the proposals to cease hostilities,” Putin told journalists at a press conference at Kremlin after conversations with Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko.
“The idea itself is correct, and we certainly support it. But we proceed from the fact that this cessation should be such that it leads to long -term peace and would eliminate the original causes of this crisis. “
Putin thanked the president of the United States, Donald Trump, who says he wants to be remembered as a peacemaker for his efforts to end the war, that both Moscow and Washington now consider a war of mortal power that could have increased to World War Tres.
Trump had said at the White House on Wednesday that he expected the Kremlin to agree with the United States proposal of a 30 -day fire that Ukraine said he would support, to end what Trump called the “bloodbath.”
“I can do financial things that would be very bad for Russia,” Trump said. “I don’t want to do that because I want to get peace. I want to see peace and we’ll see. But in a financial sense, yes, we could do things very badly for Russia. It would be devastating for Russia. “
Trump has threatened more hard sanctions against Moscow if he cannot negotiate, but the relief of sanctions if he accepts a high fire in Ukraine.
Russia advancing
The Russian forces have been advancing since mid -2014 and control almost fifth of the territory of Ukraine. Putin said the Russian forces were moving along the entire frontline line and said that the high fire would have to make sure Ukraine did not seek to simply use it to regroup.
Meanwhile, Putin put a camouflage uniform on Wednesday to visit a command post in the Kursk region in western Russia, where Ukraine is about to lose his support point after a great offensive by the Russian forces.
“How can we and how will we guarantee that nothing like this will happen? How will you control [of the ceasefire] be organized? “Putin said.” All these are serious questions.
“There are problems that we must discuss. And I think we also need to talk to our American colleagues. “Putin said he could call Trump to discuss the issue.
The main assistant of Putin’s foreign policy said today that he had told Washington that a 30 -day fire proposed by the United States to stop the war in Ukraine would simply give kyiv’s forces a respite on the battlefield very necessary.
The special envoy of the Middle East of Trump, Steve Witkoff, arrived today in Moscow to meet Putin. Russian officials said that the US National Security Advisor, Mike Waltz, had provided details about the idea of Alto El Fuego on Wednesday and that Russia was ready to discuss it.
Yuri Ushakov, a former ambassador to Washington who speaks for Putin in important foreign policy, told State Television that he had spoken with Waltz on Wednesday to describe Russia’s position on the high fire.
“I said our position that this is nothing more than a temporary respite for the Ukrainian army, nothing more,” said Ushakov.
“Our goal is a long -term peaceful agreement that takes into account the legitimate interests of our country and our known concerns. It seems to me that nobody needs steps that [merely] Imite peaceful actions in this situation, ”he said.
When asked if Russia was rejecting the proposal, Ushakov, who has served Putin in the Kremlin since 2012, said the president would probably talk to the media later today and describe Russia’s position in more detail.
The comments of a Kremlin official so high indicate that Putin, Russia’s primary leader since 1999, thinks that Russia’s progress on the battlefield in Ukraine and Western Russia gives Moscow a strong hand in peace negotiations.
Two sources from the Russian industry said Reuters that the industry and the Ministry of Commerce of Russia were asking companies to suggest what most urgently sanctions should be raised. The ministry was not immediately available to comment.
The Kremlin said he believes that all sanctions are illegal and must be raised.
