
US officials have expressed optimism a Ukraine-Russia ceasefire deal could be reached in 鈥渨eeks,鈥 as President and Russian counterpart are expected to discuss a possible truce.
The United States this week proposed a halt in fighting in the three-year war after talks in Saudi Arabia, which Kyiv accepted. Washington and Kyiv鈥檚 European allies are pressing Moscow to accept it too.
Putin, however, has given no clear answer, instead listing a string of conditions and raising 鈥渟erious questions鈥 over the proposal.
Trump鈥檚 envoy for the conflict, Steve Witkoff, who met for several hours with Putin days ago, told CNN that he thinks 鈥渢he two presidents are going to have a really good and positive discussion this week鈥.
Trump, he added, 鈥渞eally expects there to be some sort of deal in the coming weeks, maybe, and I believe that鈥檚 the case鈥.
Ukraine鈥檚 Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Saturday accused the Kremlin of not wanting to end the war. He warned that Moscow wanted to first 鈥渋mprove their situation on the battlefield鈥 before agreeing to any ceasefire.
Rubio, Lavrov talk
Earlier, Moscow said that US Secretary of State Marco Rubio had called his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov to discuss 鈥渃oncrete aspects of the implementation of understandings鈥 at a US-Russia summit in Saudi Arabia last month.
February鈥檚 Riyadh gathering was the first high-level meeting between the United States and Russia since Moscow launched its invasion in February 2022.
鈥淪ergei Lavrov and Marco Rubio agreed to remain in contact,鈥 the Russian foreign ministry said, with no mention of the US-suggested ceasefire.
State Department spokeswoman Tammy Bruce said Saturday that the pair had 鈥渄iscussed the next steps鈥 on Ukraine, and 鈥渁greed to continue working towards restoring communication between the United States and Russia鈥.
The Lavrov-Rubio call came hours after the UK hosted a virtual summit on Ukraine, at which Prime Minister Keir Starmer accused Putin of 鈥渄ragging his feet鈥 on the ceasefire.
鈥淭he 鈥榶es, but鈥 from Russia is not good enough,鈥 Starmer said, calling for a stop to the 鈥渂arbaric attacks on Ukraine once and for all鈥.
On Sunday, Kyiv said Moscow had launched 90 Iranian-made Shahed drones on to nine Ukrainian regions.
鈥楩orce Putin鈥 to peace
In his reaction to the ceasefire earlier this week, Putin said the initiative would benefit primarily Ukraine, as Russian forces were 鈥渁dvancing鈥 in many areas. He raised 鈥渟erious questions鈥 over the initiative.
The proposal came as Russia 鈥 which occupies swathes of southern and eastern Ukraine 鈥 has the momentum in some areas of the front.
It has pushed out Ukrainian forces from parts of its Kursk region, where Kyiv hopes to hold on to Russian territory as a potential bargaining chip in any future negotiations.
Putin said he wanted to discuss Moscow鈥檚 concerns with Trump in a phone call.
Late on Sunday, Zelenskyy said he had spoken with Canada鈥檚 new Prime Minister, Mark Carney.
鈥淭he Prime Minister made the right points about how we need to step up pressure on Moscow,鈥 he said.
鈥淭he shadow fleet, the banking sector. We must impose all-out sanctions on everything that provides Russia with funding for its war. Only then can we force Putin to a just and lasting peace.鈥
Carney is due in France on Monday for talks with French President Emmanuel Macron that will cover the war in Ukraine, before travelling to London to meet UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer.
Canada has the presidency of the G7 nations this year.
Also Sunday, Zelenskyy announced the chief of general staff of the armed forces, Anatoliy Bargylevych by Andriy Gnatov. Gnatov has been tasked with increasing efficiency in the armed forces.
- Agence France-Presse
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