Putin's heavily caveated support for the US ceasefire proposal looked designed to signal goodwill to Washington and to open the door to further talks with US President Donald Trump. The West and Ukraine describe Russia's 2022 invasion as an imperial-style land grab, and have repeatedly vowed to defeat Russian forces. Russian forces control nearly a fifth of Ukraine's territory and have been edging forward since mid-2024. Putin said Russian forces were moving forward along the entire frontline and that the ceasefire would have to ensure that Ukraine did not seek to simply use it to regroup. Before Putin spoke, Ushakov said that the US ceasefire proposal offered Russia "nothing".

Source: bd News24 March 13, 2025 14:52 UTC