Russia Unlikely to Agree to 30-Day Ceasefire, Reuters Sources Say

Russian sources told Reuters that Russian President Vladimir Putin is unlikely to accept the US proposal for a 30-day ceasefire in Ukraine without certain guarantees.

The agency's first source said that it would be difficult for Putin to accept the idea of a ceasefire without agreeing on broader terms and receiving certain guarantees. ‘It is difficult for Putin to agree to this in its current form. Putin has a strong position because Russia is moving forward,’ the Russian official said.

In his opinion, a cessation of hostilities without guarantees for Moscow would quickly weaken its position, allowing the West to accuse Russia of refusing to end the war and apply new measures of pressure.

Another Reuters source said that from Moscow's point of view, the ceasefire proposal looks like a trap for Russia, so Putin is unlikely to stop the fighting without clear guarantees or concrete promises.

A third Russian source said that the overall situation in Moscow does not look too optimistic, as the US has decided to resume military assistance to Ukraine and intelligence sharing, presenting this decision as a ceasefire proposal.

Reuters also recalls Putin's statement in December, in which he stressed that Russia does not need a ceasefire, but a long-term peace with guarantees for Russia and its citizens.

As The Gaze reported, during talks with the US in Saudi Arabia, Ukraine agreed to an immediate 30-day ceasefire, provided that Russia also takes this step. The parties ‘agreed that it was time to start the process of establishing a lasting peace’.