Russian leader says he agrees with proposals to halt military action — but notes there are several catches or “nuances.”

By Dato Parulava and Csongor Körömi

Vladimir Putin says he backs a ceasefire, but don’t hold your breath for an immediate breakthrough.

Russia’s president on Thursday laid out what looked like a raft of delaying questions and burdensome conditions on American proposals to end the Kremlin’s war in Ukraine.

Putin will huddle with United States President Donald Trump’s envoy Steve Witkoff in a closed-door meeting at the Kremlin on Thursday night. He is being careful to say he broadly supports the initiative, but is simultaneously setting out what he sees as impediments to an overnight breakthrough.

“We agree with the proposals to stop military actions, but we proceed from the fact that this cessation should be such that it would lead to long-term peace and eliminate the root causes of the crisis,” the Russian leader noted. 

“The root causes of the crisis” are a long series of Russian grievances about Ukraine, where it will be hard to find common ground for a long-term peace settlement.

Russia casts its war as a limited operation to rid Ukraine of the “Nazis” it falsely claims are running it, but Kyiv and Western allies argue Putin’s core goals include crushing Ukrainian democracy, seizing vast swathes of territory and ending the country’s westward gravitation toward the EU and NATO.

Russia is already insisting any deal must include international recognition of seized territory, a commitment that Kyiv won’t join NATO and pledges that European peacekeepers will not serve in the country to protect against another Russian attack.

Putin was speaking at a press conference alongside Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko during which he added that the Ukrainian soldiers who invaded Russia’s Kursk region last summer “have completely abandoned their equipment, as there will be a physical blockade of the region — they either die or surrender to leave the region.”

“I am for it [the ceasefire]. But if we stop here in Kursk for 30 days, it would mean that the Ukrainian military would have several opportunities,” Putin added, outlining a further series of questions he had.

“How will these 30 days be used? For the purpose of continuing forced mobilization in Ukraine? For the purpose of supplying weapons there? For the purpose of newly mobilized personnel to undergo training? Or will nothing of this kind be done? Then a question arises: How will the issues of control, verification be addressed?” he asked, according to a transcript carried by TASS.

Very much looking like he was playing for time, Putin said “all these questions need to be thoroughly studied in the near future.”

“I think we need to discuss this with our American partners, maybe we need to have a phone conversation with [U.S.] President Trump. But we support ending this conflict in a peaceful way,” he said.

Talks have intensified in recent days as Trump’s team seeks to quell the fighting in Ukraine: Earlier this week, American negotiators met with Kyiv’s leadership in Saudi Arabia to hammer out a ceasefire proposal that the Ukrainian side could get on board with.

Trump reaffirmed on Thursday that negotiations are underway for the ceasefire, with the administration trying to get Russia past the finish line on a deal.

But Putin’s comments at the press conference are in line with expectations of people who’ve worked with the Kremlin. Former Russian diplomat Boris Bondarev told POLITICO that Putin “has no interest in a ceasefire.”

“He thinks he can achieve his goals through fighting. I think he feels quite confident,” said Bondarev, who worked for Russia’s permanent mission to the United Nations in Geneva, adding that the Russian leader is likely calculating that “Trump is much more concerned about a peace deal than about Ukraine.”

Trump said many of these details for the final agreement “have already been discussed,” but he threw the onus on Russia to make the deal.

“Now we’re going to see if Russia is there and, if not, it will be a very disappointing moment for the world,” he said.

When asked if he had leverage on Putin and if he would consider sanctioning Russia, Trump said he has leverage but that because they’re talking with Putin, he’s focused on making a deal.

“I hope Russia is going to make the deal, too,” Trump added, “I don’t think they’re going back to shooting again.”

In the wide-ranging remarks to the press Thursday, Trump stressed Putin would not invade other European countries, adding the U.S. will make sure of it. “I don’t see that happening, and we will make sure it doesn’t happen,” Trump said.

Source: Politico.eu