Russian President Vladimir Putin last night did not reject the US and Ukraine's proposal for a month-long ceasefire, but set numerous conditions that will most likely delay the conclusion of a ceasefire or make it impossible to achieve it, the newspaper writes. “New York Times“, writes BTA.
Putin's comments during a press conference highlighted the balance he is trying to strike - to project confidence in Russia's positions on the battlefield while continuing negotiations with the United States without irritating US President Donald Trump, the publication points out.
The US president has fallen out with his allies and reoriented American foreign policy in favor of Russia, and now seems to be emerging as a key geopolitical partner for Putin, the “New York Times“ commented.
Putin's comments came at a time when Russia is making progress in a key battle in Russia's Kursk region, where Moscow's forces appear to be on track to push Ukrainian forces out of territory they seized last summer, the publication notes. Such a development would limit Kiev's options in possible future peace talks, the newspaper said.
Putin, who thanked Trump for his efforts to resolve the conflict, said that Russia would agree to a ceasefire, but only if it led to lasting peace, hinting that Russia wanted to set conditions, such as a ban on Ukraine receiving weapons from the United States or mobilizing new forces, the Washington Post reported.
He also raised the question of how the ceasefire would be monitored, indicating that complex negotiations would be needed before he could approve it, the publication noted.
Putin's mention of how difficult it would be to negotiate a ceasefire and the need for "thorough study" The proposal would effectively postpone an immediate short-term ceasefire that would allow Russia to continue fighting while negotiations drag on, the American capital's publication commented.
The Russian president's comments reflect his confidence in Russia's position in the war and his belief that Western military support for Kiev is likely to decline, the “Washington Post“ believes.
Judging by the rhetoric of Russian officials recently, they do not believe there is an urgent need to reach an agreement or make concessions on their part, as Moscow continues to advance on the battlefield, the newspaper writes. „Guardian“.
Moscow's persistent resistance to the deployment of a European peacekeeping force - seen by Ukraine as the only viable alternative to NATO membership to guarantee its security - poses a serious obstacle to achieving a peace acceptable to Kiev, the publication points out.
Observers believe that Putin is determined to make a series of maximalist demands before agreeing to any ceasefire, which is likely to prolong the negotiations, writes „Guardian“.
Many in Europe fear that these terms for peace could weaken the West's ability to increase its military presence and allow Putin to extend his influence across the continent, the newspaper comments.
Praising the US president and his idea of stopping the war, Putin hopes to maintain his good relations with Trump, but the fact that he immediately raised the issue of The "nuances" to be discussed should serve as a warning, writes the Telegraph.
This is a classic Russian negotiating tactic - by breaking each proposal into an infinite number of component parts, Putin will try to appear accommodating while playing for time, stalling negotiations and trying to take advantage of the state of the battlefield to obtain the maximum possible concessions, the British newspaper commented.
Putin will try to lure the Americans with prolonged diplomacy, while using force to extract concessions and blaming Ukraine if or when the negotiations (or the ceasefire, if things go that far) fail, the publication writes.
The ball is now in Trump's court, concludes the Telegraph.