Vladimir Putin is apparently open to a ceasefire in the war against Ukraine. But is he really? Just like that, the response that America, Ukraine and its Western allies had been waiting for has arrived. Speaking this afternoon in a joint press conference with Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, the Russian President commented for the first time on America’s proposal for a 30-day ceasefire in the conflict. ‘We agree with the proposal to stop military actions,’ he said. The truce, he said, should lead to ‘long-term peace and eliminate the root causes of the crisis’.
As with many statements which turn out to be too good to be true, the Russian President then followed this with a ‘but’: ‘There must be nuances,’ he added. What would happen during the ceasefire to the Ukrainian soldiers who remain on Russian soil in the Kursk region, which they had held successfully since August until earlier this week? How will things be dealt with along the front line, Putin asked, pointing out that ‘we are advancing almost everywhere’.
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