While everything pointed to the Russian side rejecting the US-Ukraine ceasefire plan – including comments made today (13) by top negotiator Yuri Ushakov – President Vladimir Putin has come out and said that he accepts the idea, provided some conditions are met.
Speaking to the press after a meeting with Belarusian President Lukashenko, Putin has shocked geopolitical analysts with his acceptance of the ceasefire plan.
The Telegraph reported:
“Vladimir Putin has agreed to a US plan for a short-term ceasefire, but with specific conditions.
The Russian president said: ‘We agree with the proposals for the ceasefire, but our position is based on the assumption the ceasefire will lead to a long-term peace’.”
Vladimir Putin is in favor of the US plan for a 30-day truce in Ukraine ‘but there are nuances’.
“The Russian president said plenty of questions remain over how the ceasefire will be implemented and who will control it.”
BREAKING: Russian President Putin officially agrees to US President Trump’s ceasefire proposal with Ukraine. pic.twitter.com/zWMOE6LP3C
— BRICS News (@BRICSinfo) March 13, 2025
Earlier, Putin’s top negotiator Yuri Ushalov had stated what was considered the obvious: Russia would not accept the plan.
Yury Ushakov stated:
“▫️Moscow does not want a temporary truce; it is interested in a long-term settlement;
▫️The temporary ceasefire in Ukraine is nothing more than a temporary respite for the Ukrainian military;
▫️Steps that imitate peaceful actions in Ukraine are of no use to anyone;
▫️Russia seeks a long-term peace settlement in Ukraine that takes into account Moscow’s interests and concerns;
▫️The Americans understand that Ukraine’s membership in NATO is out of the question in the context of a peaceful settlement.”
Yesterday, writing about this, I stated:
“Now, the question on everyone’s mind is: ‘Will Russia accept the truce?’ The short and simplistic answer is most probably not.”
I have never been so happy to be wrong.
But I also wrote: “Does that mean that the peace process is over?
Not at all.
[…] It’s highly unlikely that Putin will not find a way to keep the process going strong. There are skilled negotiators in both sides, and they have been in touch this whole time, so it’s unlikely that the US team just went on a limb on a losing proposition.”
Read more:
Will Russia Agree to the 30-Day Truce Proposal by the US and Ukraine?
Read the full article here