President Putin Supports Plans To Ceasefire With Ukraine Proposed By The US, But...

Russian President Vladimir Putin. (Source: Alexander Demianchuk / TASS)

JAKARTA - President Vladimir Putin said on Thursday Russia supported a proposed ceasefire with Ukraine delivered by the United States in principle, but asked for a number of clarifications and requirements that appeared to rule out the possibility of ending the fighting quickly.

Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 has killed and injured hundreds of thousands of people, displaced millions of people, destroyed cities, and sparked the most sharp confrontation for decades between Moscow and the West.

President Putin's very limited support for the proposed US ceasefire appears to be designed to signal goodwill to Washington and open the door for further talks with US President Donald Trump.

However, President Putin said there were many important details that needed to be resolved and any agreement had to address the root causes of the conflict.

"We agree with the proposal to stop hostilities," President Putin told reporters in the Kremlin after talks with Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko.

"Idenya sendiri benar, dan kami tentu mendukungnya," lanjutnya.

"However, we think that this termination should be in such a way that it will lead to long-term peace and will eliminate the root causes of this crisis," he said.

Furthermore, the Kremlin Leader mentioned a number of issues that he thought needed to be clarified and thanked President Trump, who said he wanted to be remembered as a peacemaker for his efforts to end the war.

Both Moscow and Washington now describe the conflict as a deadly proxy war that could escalate into a Third World War.

Meanwhile, President Trump, who said his willingness to speak with Russian leaders by telephone, called President Putin's statement "very promising" and said he hoped Moscow would "do the right thing."

President Trump said Steve Witkoff, a special envoy, was involved in serious talks with Russia in Moscow regarding the US proposal, which Kyiv had approved.

According to him, the discussion on Thursday will show whether Moscow is ready to make an agreement.

"Now we're going to see if Russia is there or not, and if not, it's going to be a very disappointing moment for the world," he said.

Earlier, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said President Putin was preparing to reject the ceasefire's proposal, but was afraid to tell President Trump.

"That's why in Moscow they enforce the idea of a ceasefire with these conditions, so nothing happens at all, or so that it doesn't happen as long as possible," President Zelensky said in his evening video speech.

Any delay will give Russia more time for its troops to push the last Ukrainian troops out of western Russia, as Moscow continues to demand that Kyiv permanently hand over territory claimed by Russia, a position that Ukraine rejects.

"How can we and how will we be guaranteed that something like this will not happen? How will the control (of the ceasefire) be regulated?" said President Putin.

"These are all serious questions," he said.

President Putin said he might call Trump to discuss the matter.

It is known that Ukraine now controls less than 200 square kilometers (77 square miles) in Kursk, down from 1,300 square km at the peak of the attack, according to the Russian military.