The Kremlin said on Wednesday that Moscow is waiting for Washington to “brief them through various channels” on the outcome of US-Ukrainian talks in Saudi Arabia before commenting on whether a proposed 30-day ceasefire is acceptable to Russia.
“As stated yesterday, we expect Secretary of State Marco Rubio and National Security Adviser Mike Waltz to brief us through various channels in the coming days on the details of the talks and the agreements reached,” Peskov said, speaking with reporters at a press briefing.
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He did not rule out the possibility of a phone call between President Vladimir Putin and US President Donald Trump, saying such a conversation could be arranged quickly if necessary.
A senior Russian source told Reuters that Russia would need to discuss the terms of any ceasefire and receive guarantees before considering any agreements.
“It is difficult for Putin to agree to this in its current form,” the source, who spoke on condition of anonymity, claimed. “Putin has a strong position because Russia is advancing.”
Russia currently controls nearly a fifth of Ukraine – about 113,000 square kilometers (43,630 square miles) – and has been making slow but steady territorial gains. Ukraine briefly seized a Luxembourg-sized portion of western Russia last August as leverage but is struggling to maintain control, according to open-source war maps and Russian milbloggers.
Trump Says He Can Pressure Russia, Prefers Not To
Another high-ranking Russian official suggested that the Kremlin views the proposal as a possible trap.
On March 11, Ukrainian and US officials met in Saudi Arabia. Following the nine-hour talks, Washington proposed a 30-day ceasefire, which Ukraine accepted. A joint statement confirmed that Ukraine was ready for an immediate truce if Russia also agreed. In response, the US announced it would restart military support for Kyiv, which it had paused after a rocky meeting Feb. 28 between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Trump in Washington.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the proposal had been sent to Moscow and urged Russia to accept it.
“The ball is in Russia’s court now,” he said.
However, Putin has repeatedly said he does not support temporary truces.
“If we talk about peace, it should not be a short-term truce that allows NATO countries to rearm Ukraine. We need long-term and lasting peace with equal security for all sides,” Putin said, according to Meduza.
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