Russia holds off on ceasefire response, awaits US details

Russia has said it would not comment on the proposed ceasefire agreement with Ukraine until it receives details of the agreement from the United States.

According to the national spokesperson, Dmitry Peskov, Russia is waiting to be briefed about the deal.

Mr Peskov, who spoke to Russian reporters on Wednesday, according to AFP, said he would not rule out the possibility of a phone call between Presidents Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump.

On Tuesday, the US had agreed to resume military aid and intelligence sharing with Ukraine after its negotiator agreed to a 30-day ceasefire deal proposed by top US officials.

Stay Ahead with Premium Times

Add as a preferred source on Google

Both countries reached this agreement after a peace talk in Saudi Arabia, ending a week-long standoff that had threatened to bolster Russia’s position in the war.

In a joint statement published soon after the talks ended, the countries disclosed their agreement to an “immediate, interim 30-day ceasefire,” hinged on Russia’s acceptance.

However, there have been concerns about Russia’s response to the deal. The country has so far opposed anything short of a permanent end to the conflict without accepting any concessions.

According to US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, the US would present Russia with the ceasefire offer in the hope of implementing the agreement.

“The ball is now in their court,” US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said of Russia.

“We’re going to tell them this is what’s on the table. Ukraine is ready to stop shooting and start talking. And now it’ll be up to them to say yes or no,” Rubio said. “If they say no, then we’ll unfortunately know what the impediment is to peace here.”

Previous ceasefire agreement

However, Mr Peskov said Russian officials were “closely examining” the joint US-Ukrainian statement on the proposed ceasefire.

“We expect, as was said yesterday in Jeddah, Secretary of State Rubio and National Security Adviser Waltz to inform us through various channels about the details of the negotiations and the understanding reached in the coming days,” the Kremlin spokesperson told reporters.

The deal, aimed at ending the three-year war that has claimed over 175,000 lives, calls for the exchange of prisoners of war, the release of civilian detainees, and the return of forcibly transferred Ukrainian children.

Since Russia invaded eastern Ukraine using proxies and annexed Crimea in 2014, it has repeatedly violated ceasefire agreements.

READ ALSO: Foundation donates over N300m to indigent children, unveils plans to establish hospital

According to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, Russia has broken multiple ceasefire deals, including those supervised by different US administrations.

Several ceasefires were brokered as part of the Minsk Agreements—Minsk I in 2014 and Minsk II in 2015—which aimed to de-escalate the conflict between Ukrainian forces and Russian-backed separatists in the Donbas region. But ceasefires were frequently broken, with both sides accusing each other of violations.

However, US President Donald Trump said he will speak to Russian leader Vladimir Putin about accepting and sticking to the ceasefire plan.

“It takes two to tango,” Mr Trump had said.