Volodymyr Putin accepted the US proposal for a 30-day truce in Ukraine, but put forward a number of harsh conditions that cast doubt on the real desire of the Kremlin to stop the fighting.
During a joint press conference with Alexander Lukashenko in Moscow, March 13, the Russian President stated that Russia agrees to stop fighting, but requires guarantee that during a 30-day truce:
- Ukraine will not mobilize.
- There will be no preparation of troops.
- There will be no supply of weapons from abroad.
According to Putin, the truce should be the one that would lead to long -term peace and eliminate the causes of the conflict.
The Russian dictator has paid special attention to the situation in the Kursk region, which, he said, creates serious questions. Putin stated that Ukrainian units in Kurshchyna seem to be in "complete isolation", and Russia has no clear understanding of how their exit from the territory in the event of termination of hostilities.
"What will we do with a plot of inquiry into the Kursk region?
The head of the Center for Combating Misinformation at NSDC Andriy Kovalenko criticized the Kremlin's proposal, calling it the typical behavior of Russia in international negotiations. According to him, Moscow's strategy is to blame Ukraine for violations, to make unrealistic requirements and to create misinformation campaigns similar to what happened during the Minsk Agreements.
“We are ready to stop the fire, but there are“ nuances ”,” Kovalenko summed up, emphasizing that Russia will continue to use the tactics of deception and accusations to achieve its goals.
The conditions put forward by Russia raise doubts about the reality of the termination of hostilities, as restrictions on the mobilization, military training and supply of weapons put Ukraine in an unequal position. Currently, no official comment from Ukraine has not been made public on Putin.
