Russian President Vladimir Putin may speak about Ukraine today during a press conference in the Kremlin if there are questions on this topic. This was stated by the spokesman for the presidential administration Dmitry Peskov, quoted by TASS, BTA reports.
The agency notes that a press conference is scheduled after today's meeting between Vladimir Putin and the President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko.
"Everything will depend on the questions of journalists," Peskov said, answering a question about whether the presidents will limit themselves to bilateral issues or Putin may also speak about the Ukrainian topic in light of the latest US initiatives.
The talks in Jeddah and Moscow's position
On March 11, delegations from the US and Ukraine held talks in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. A joint statement after the meeting said that Kiev had agreed to a 30-day ceasefire and a mineral rights agreement with the United States. In return, Washington promised to immediately restore military aid to Ukraine and resume intelligence sharing.
Moscow expects Washington to inform it about the outcome of the talks in Jeddah, TASS reported.
Trump envoy to visit Moscow
Yesterday, during a meeting at the White House with Irish Prime Minister Michaël Martin, former US President Donald Trump said that his envoys were traveling to Russia to try to get its agreement to a ceasefire. Subsequently, White House press secretary Caroline Levitt specified that Trump's special envoy for "hot files" Stephen Witkoff will visit Moscow "this week".
According to sources familiar with the contacts between the United States and Russia, Moscow has presented the American side with a list of demands for an agreement to end the war in Ukraine and restore relations with Washington, Reuters reports.
The agency notes that it is not clear what exactly is included in Moscow's list and whether it is ready to engage in peace talks before these demands are met. Russian and American officials have discussed the terms during virtual and in-person meetings over the past three weeks. According to the sources, the Kremlin's conditions are broad and similar to previous demands made to Ukraine, the United States and NATO.
Russia's main demands
Among Moscow's earlier conditions were:
- Ukraine not to join NATO;
- No foreign troops to be stationed on Ukrainian territory;
- International recognition of Russia's claims to Crimea and four Ukrainian regions.
In recent years, Russia has also been demanding that the United States and NATO address the so-called "root causes" on the conflict, including the expansion of the Alliance to the east.
Uncertainty over the Kremlin's position
The US president is waiting to hear whether Putin will agree to the 30-day ceasefire that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has accepted as a first step towards peace talks.
Putin's commitment to a potential ceasefire agreement remains unclear, with details yet to be finalized, Reuters notes.
The Russian Embassy in Washington and the White House did not provide a timely comment on the subject, the agency said.