This photo posted on the Kremlin website on March 12, 2025
shows Russian President Vladimir Putin attending a meeting at a military command center in the Kursk region. [Photo/Kremlin Press Office handout via Xinhua]
Russia is "in favor" of the 30-day ceasefire plan proposed by the United States and Ukraine, but nuances exist, Russian President Vladimir Putin said Thursday.
"We agree with the proposals to stop hostilities, but we proceed from the fact that this cessation should be one that would lead to long-term peace and eliminate the original causes of this crisis," Putin said at a press conference with visiting Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko.
Putin noted the difficulty in monitoring ceasefire violations along the 2,000 km contact line of the conflict and raised the issue that Ukraine might use the temporary ceasefire for mobilization and weapons supplies.
He mentioned the nuance regarding the Kursk region, where Russian forces have been pushing back Ukrainian forces following their surprise cross-border attack in August 2024.
"As for the situation on the ground..., it is changing rapidly," Putin said, noting Russian forces' recapture of the key town of Sudzha in Kursk on Thursday. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said earlier in the day that the Russian operation in Kursk had entered its final stage.
Putin said he might call Trump to discuss the issues.
Russia will negotiate the next steps to end the conflict and reach acceptable agreements based on the situation "on the ground," the president said.
Ukraine on Tuesday signaled its readiness to accept a U.S. proposal for an "immediate, interim 30-day ceasefire" following talks with a U.S. delegation in Jeddah, according to their joint statement.
The statement also said the truce could be extended by mutual agreement, adding that "the United States will communicate to Russia that Russian reciprocity is the key to achieving peace."
