Moscow, Mar 14 (EFE).— Russian President Vladimir Putin has sought further clarifications and assurances before approving US President Donald Trump’s proposed ceasefire in Ukraine, the Kremlin said Friday, underscoring Moscow’s strategic leverage in the negotiations.
Putin’s meeting with White House special envoy Mike Witkoff, the first high-level US-Russia engagement since 2022, raised cautious hopes for diplomacy but also highlighted deep Russian reservations.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy dismissed the Kremlin’s engagement as a delaying tactic to prolong the war, as fighting raged on in the contested Kursk region of Russia, still partly under Ukraine’s control.
“Putin s Trump’s position on the settlement, but yesterday he posed several questions that require t discussion,” Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told reporters.
Putin Meets Trump’s Emissary
Putin’s meeting with Witkoff marked the first direct engagement between the Russian leader and a senior US official since the war began in 2022, marking a potential thaw in Moscow-Washington ties.
“Without a doubt, there are reasons for cautious optimism,” Peskov said, cautioning that “much remains to be done.”
During the meeting, Putin gave Witkoff additional messages and “signals” for Trump, which likely include Moscow’s reservations about the US initiative.
Kremlin advisor Yuri Ushakov criticized the proposal as rushed and biased, particularly concerning verification measures and assurances that the ceasefire would not allow Ukraine to regroup and rearm.
Russia has already rejected the idea of deploying European peacekeeping forces in Ukraine, even under a non-NATO mandate.
Meanwhile, Peskov declined to confirm reports that Moscow had rejected US special envoy Keith Kellogg due to his perceived pro-Ukrainian stance.
“It would be absurd to suggest that Russia interferes in US internal affairs,” Peskov said, adding that “any relationship must be built on mutual respect.”
Waiting for a Trump-Putin Call
Once Trump receives Moscow’s response to the ceasefire plan, both leaders are expected to hold a phone conversation, their first since Feb. 12, when they agreed to explore negotiations.
“There is a mutual understanding that such a conversation is necessary,” Peskov said, though he itted no date had been set.
While Putin stopped short of outright rejecting the ceasefire, he did not fully embrace it, choosing instead to continue military operations.
But he expressed appreciation for Trump’s attention to the conflict.
Trump, speaking alongside NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte at the White House, signaled readiness to engage with Putin and acknowledged that the US had already discussed territorial issues with Ukraine.
“We’re hearing positive news from Russia,” Trump said. “I hope they make the right decision.”
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha, however, accused Putin of using delaying tactics.
“Ukraine said ‘yes’ to the ceasefire because we want peace. Instead of agreeing, Putin is setting conditions. The rest of his words are just a smokescreen,” Sybiha said.
Russia Gains Ground in Kursk
Meanwhile, fighting continued in Russia’s Kursk region, a major flashpoint in the conflict. Russian forces claimed control over Goncharovka, a town of fewer than 3,000 residents near Sudzha, a key Ukrainian resistance stronghold recaptured by Russia on Thursday.
Dressed in camouflage for the first time since the war began, Putin visited troops in Kursk, ordering them to “crush” Ukrainian forces.
In the past two weeks, Russia has reclaimed nearly 30 towns and over 200 square kilometers of territory previously held by Ukraine since August 2024.
Putin warned Ukrainian troops still entrenched in the region to surrender or face annihilation. “They have two choices: surrender or die.” EFE
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