Russian President Vladimir Putin has agreed to the idea of a ceasefire in Ukraine but has cautious opinions about the nature of the ceasefire and set out a number of tough conditions.
At a press conference in Moscow on March 13, President Putin said about the ceasefire proposal: "This idea is correct - and we support - but there are questions that we need to discuss."
Mr. Putin said that the ceasefire will lead to "a lasting peace and eliminate the root cause of this crisis".
"We need to negotiate with our American colleagues and partners. Maybe I will call Donald Trump," Putin said.
The Russian leader noted: "It would be good for Ukraine to achieve a 30-day ceasefire." He stressed that Russia "supports a ceasefire but there are still nuances to consider".
One of the controversial areas is Russia's Kursk region, which Ukraine launched a military offensive last year and is in control of several territories, Putin said.
He said Russia had regained full control of Kursk and that the Ukrainian army there was "isolated". "They are trying to leave, but we are in control. Their equipment was left behind. There are two options for Ukrainians in Kursk - surrender or die," the Russian leader said.
Mr. Putin also raised some questions about the ceasefire in Ukraine: "How will those 30 days be used? For Ukraine to mobilize troops? Rearming? Training the people? Or not do anything? Then there is the question - how will the ceasefire be controlled? ".
Mr. Putin continued: "Who will order an end to the war? At what price? Who will determine which side has broken the ceasefire, if any, within 2,000 km? All of those questions required both sides to work closely. Who is supervising this? ".
