Why Russia should agree to a ceasefire – and five reasons Putin might not

The main achievement of the US-Ukrainian talks in Jeddah was to produce a ceasefire document that Russia might actually want to sign. A long list of Ukrainian red lines – such as a partial ceasefire in the air and sea only, and security guarantees before any ceasefire was implemented – were swept aside. What’s on the table is essentially an unconditional ceasefire on all fronts, initially limited to thirty days. Putin now needs to decide whether it’s in Russia’s interests to accept. There are six reasons why he should sign the Jeddah deal – and five reasons he may not:

Why Putin should agree to the deal: 

Relations with Washington are more important than military gains on the ground in Ukraine 

As Russian National Guard chief Viktor Zolotov put it, “Ukraine is where the border between the US and Russia runs.” Putin has always maintained that the Maidan revolution of 2014 was a Western-orchestrated coup and that the Kyiv regime are puppets of Washington.