Putin's war strategy stalls ceasefire hopes in Ukraine
Russian President Vladimir Putin is unlikely to accept the American proposal for a 30-day ceasefire in Ukraine, Reuters reported on Wednesday, citing Russian sources. According to the agency's interlocutors, any agreement would have to take into account Russian gains on the battlefield.
Russia would need to thoroughly analyse the terms of the ceasefire and receive some form of guarantees, a high-ranking Russian source said.
It is difficult for Putin to agree to this in its current form…Putin has a strong position because Russia is advancing, emphasised Reuters.
Without guarantees accompanying the ceasefire, the Russian position could quickly weaken, and the West could blame Russia for the continuation of the war, the source believes.
Another interlocutor assessed that from Moscow's perspective, the ceasefire proposal seems like a trap because Putin will not stop the war without concrete guarantees or promises.
An additional source reported that from a broader perspective, it seems that the US agreed to resume military aid and the transfer of intelligence, embellishing this step with the truce proposal.
The French daily "Le Monde" emphasises on Wednesday that following the American proposal for a 30-day ceasefire in Ukraine, the Russian authorities are limiting themselves to repeating their demands. There is "silence"; "there is neither agreement nor refusal," the daily notes.
"A priori, it is far from Washington’s expectations," evaluates "Le Monde," recalling that US Secretary of State Marco Rubio expressed hope for a quick and positive response from Russia to the offer. The daily adds that Vladimir Putin, who "never reacts to pressure," still "remains faithful to this line".
The reaction of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Moscow is described by the daily as "ambivalent", quoting a statement from the head of the department, Sergey Lavrov, who said that "it is very well understood they told us that countries like the United States and Russia would never have their national interest the same."
"Despite Putin's minimal reactions in the face of the flow of declarations from (US President) Donald Trump, the Kremlin has kept its demands inflexible for two months: Ukraine's submission, its renunciation of joining NATO, and Russian control over the occupied territories," the daily evaluates. It forecasts that "Russia could accept a ceasefire because if nothing serious is planned for the day after the truce, it will not prevent it from resuming the offensive."
Ukraine agreed to the US proposal
After nine hours of talks on Tuesday in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, the Ukrainian side agreed to the American proposal for an immediate 30-day ceasefire, while the United States announced the resumption of halted military aid for the country.
US President Donald Trump stated that talks with Russia on the ceasefire would take place on Wednesday, and expressed hope that Moscow will accept the truce proposal. He suggested he will talk with Vladimir Putin later this week.
