London – In his first public comments on the high the proposed fire of 30 days in Ukraine, President Vladimir Putin said that Russia is “for that”, but that he wants his own security guarantees.
Putin raised questions about a high 30 -day fire during a press conference in Moscow on Thursday, when the envoy of the Middle East of President Donald Trump, Steve Witkoff, landed in the city to discuss the proposal.
“It seems to me, it would be very good for the Ukrainian side to reach a truce for at least 30 days. And we are in favor. But there is a nuance,” Putin said, which highlights concerns about the Kursk region of Russia, where Ukrainian forces pushed last year in a surprise offensive, but in recent weeks they have seen the Russian forces resume significant land.
“If we stop hostilities for 30 days, what does it mean? Does it mean that everyone who is there will go without fighting?” Putin said. “Or Ukrainian leadership will give you the order to leave your arms and simply surrender? How will it be?”
The Russian president, Vladimir Putin, speaks during a joint press conference with Belaruso President Alexander Lukashenko after his conversations in the Great Kremlin Palace in Moscow, Russia, on March 13, 2025.
Alexander Zemlianichenko/AP
Putin said he also wants guarantees that during a high 30 -day fire, Ukraine will not regroup, and wondered who would determine if there was any rape of a high fire.
“All these are problems that require careful investigation of both sides,” he said.
Putin suggested that Russia should talk to Trump to discuss his concerns, while adding: “But the idea itself is to end this conflict with peaceful means. We support it.”
At the top of his comments, the president thanked Trump “for his attention to the settlement of Ukraine.”
“We believe that this fire should lead to long -term peace and eliminate the initial causes of this crisis,” Putin said.
The envoy of the Middle East of Trump landed in Moscow on Thursday morning for discussions on the high the proposed fire of 30 days in Ukraine, a leading step in kyiv and Washington, DC, Hope will facilitate a broader peace agreement to end the invasion of three years of Russia of its neighbor.
Witkoff’s trip is “part of our continuous efforts to press Russia to accept fire and stop its brutal war against Ukraine,” said White House Secretary, Karoline Leavitt, journalists in an informative session on Wednesday.
The special envoy of the United States, Steve Witkoff, talks to journalists at the White House, on Thursday, March 6, 2025, in Washington.
Alex Brandon/AP
Witkoff will meet with Putin on Thursday night in a closed format, according to the assistant of Russian foreign policy Yuri Ushakov.
Putin will not talk to Trump on Thursday, according to Ushakov.
Trump described Thursday’s discussions among American and Russian officials as “very serious” during the comments of the Oval office.
“Things are going well in Russia,” he said, adding that “it means nothing until we hear what the final result is.”
“Hopefully they do the right thing,” he said about Russia, saying that he would like to see Moscow accept the 30 -day fire.
Asked by the head of the Ball of the White House of ABC News, Mary Bruce, if he plans to speak with Putin soon in the proposal of Alto El Fuego, Trump said: “I would love to meet him or talk to him, but we have to end up with fast.”
Trump also reacted to Putin’s comments the earliest Thursday, saying: “He put a very promising statement, but was incomplete.”
The proposal of Alto El Fuego is “phase one” of the peace process, Trump said, and pointed out that the discussions on a final agreement have touched who will obtain certain pieces of earth and a “very large energy plant.”
American and Ukrainian officials agreed to high a 30 -day fire during conversations in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, earlier this week. The ball is now “truly on its court,” said Secretary of State Marco Rubio about Russia after the conversations in Jeddah.
Yehor Cherniev, a member of the Ukrainian Parliament that represents the party of President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, said Russia is trying to “waste time.”
“They can’t say yes and they can’t say no. That’s why they will try to find some reasons why they can’t say yes,” Cherniev told ABC News while Putin delivered his comments on Thursday. “And in reality, I think they will even put on the table some conditions for this high fire that will be unacceptable to us. And that will be your answer, to put the responsibility of the high fire on our side.”
The Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, speaks during an informative session in kyiv, Ukraine, March 12, 2025.
Ef Lukatsky/AP
Zelenskyy said Ukraine is ready for peace, while Russia seeks “postponing peace.”
“Unfortunately, for more than a day, the world has not yet heard a significant response from Russia to the proposals made,” ” He said in x Thursday before Putin’s comments. “This once again shows that Russia seeks to prolong war and postpone peace as long as possible. We hope that US pressure is sufficient to force Russia to end war.”
The Kremlin had not been committed to the American-Ukrainian proposal. The authorities were “examining” the statements published publicly, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Wednesday. Russia, he added, “does not want to advance” in Alto Alto El Fuego.
Ushakov, who participated in the meeting last month with American negotiators in Saudi Arabia, described the high fire proposed as “a hurried document.”
“It must be worked, and our position must also be considered and taken into account,” he told reporters. “For now, only the Ukrainian approach is described there,” added Ushakov, suggesting that the 30 -day pause in the fight would be an opportunity for Ukrainian forces to regroup.
“We believe that our goal is a long -term peaceful agreement, we strive for it, a peaceful agreement that takes into account the legitimate interests of our country, our known concerns,” said Ushakov. “Some steps that mimic peaceful actions, it seems to me that nobody needs in this situation.”
Ushakov said he described Russia’s position to the national security advisor Mike Waltz. “Recently I have been in quite regular telephone contact with Mike Waltz,” he said. “Yesterday he called me and informed me about the main results of the conversations with the Ukrainian delegation in Jeddah.”
Tanya Stukalova, Joe Simonetti and Will Gretsky contributed to this report.
