Putin says he has reservation on ceasefire deal, thanks PM Modi, Trump for ‘addressing issue of conflict’ | 10 updates

Russian President Vladimir Putin  has publicly commented on Ukraine's openness to negotiating a ceasefire. At his Thursday news conference, Russian President Vladimir Putin expressed reservations about a proposed 30-day ceasefire in the Ukraine war, CNN reported.

Also Read: Putin says ‘in favour’ of US proposal for 30-day ceasefire in Ukraine, seeks discussion with Donald Trump

While Putin acknowledged the US proposal as "great and correct," he emphasized that Russia supports it in principle, but stated that numerous details still need to be discussed before any agreement can be reached.

Here are the top ten updates:

1. At a joint press conference with Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko on Thursday, Putin said that Russia agrees with the proposals to cease hostilities but “proceeds from the assumption that this cessation should lead to long-term peace and eliminate the root causes of the crisis.”

Also Read: Trump warns Russia of sanctions if Putin refuses Ukraine ceasefire deal, says I can do ’very bad’ things

2. When asked about Ukraine's readiness for a ceasefire, Putin said, “As for Ukraine's readiness for a ceasefire, I will tell you how I view it, of course. But I would like to start by thanking the President of the United States, Mr Trump, for paying so much attention to the Ukraine settlement. We all have enough of our own domestic affairs to attend to. But many leaders of states, among them the President of the People's Republic of China, the Prime Minister of India, the Presidents of Brazil and the Republic of South Africa are addressing this issue and give it a lot of their time. We are grateful to all of them for that because this activity is aimed at achieving a noble mission - the mission of ending hostilities and loss of life.”

3. He further said, “We agree with the proposals to cease hostilities but proceed from the assumption that this cessation should lead to long-term peace and eliminate the root causes of this crisis.”

4. He also referred to the recent US-Ukraine discussions in Saudi Arabia, suggesting that Ukraine's willingness for a ceasefire was likely influenced by American pressure.

Also Read: Donald Trump says Putin statement on Ukraine ‘promising’ but ‘not complete’; hopes Russia will do the right thing

5. “Now, on Ukraine's readiness to cease the hostilities. You know, on the face of it, the US-Ukraine meeting in Saudi Arabia may look like the Ukrainian side made this decision under pressure from the United States. In fact, I am absolutely convinced that the Ukrainian side should have asked the Americans for this decision most emphatically, in view of the situation evolving on the ground, as has just been mentioned here,” Putin said, as reported by ANI.

6. In response, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky mocked Putin’s reaction to the possibility of a ceasefire, calling his words “predictable” and “manipulative.” During his nightly address, Zelensky accused Putin of preparing to reject the idea of a front-line silence and stated that Putin was too afraid to directly tell President Trump that he intends to continue the war and harm Ukrainians, Bloomberg reported.

Also Read: Putin Expected to Stretch Out Ukraine Talks to Seek Better Terms

7. US President Donald Trump stated that the US had begun discussions with Ukraine about the potential outlines of a final agreement, including the territories that might remain under Ukrainian control or be forfeited, and the fate of key infrastructure, such as a large power plant. While Trump didn't provide further details, it’s worth noting that the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, the largest in Europe, has been under Russian control since the early stages of the war, Bloomberg  reported.

Also Read: What’s in Russia-Ukraine ceasefire proposal? What does Putin want? Will China play any role?

8. On March 11, Ukraine expressed readiness to accept the US proposal to enact an "immediate, interim 30-day ceasefire," which can be extended by mutual agreement of the parties and is subject to Russia's acceptance and concurrent implementation.

9. Trump welcomed Ukraine's nod to the ceasefire after the peace talks in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, and further expressed hope that Russia will also agree to it. Stating that soldiers of both Russia and Ukraine are being killed in this "horrible war", Trump said reaching a ceasefire is "very important".

10. Earlier in February, PM Modi welcomed Trump's efforts to resolve the Russia-Ukraine conflict and reiterated India's position that the conflict should be resolved by negotiations.

(With inputs from agencies)