Russia asks US to provide details before deciding on ceasefire in Ukraine

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Moscow was waiting for a report from Washington following high-level US-Ukraine talks in Saudi Arabia, where Kiev said it was ready to implement a 30-day ceasefire.

Mr. Peskov emphasized that Russia expects US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and National Security Advisor Michael Waltz to inform about the content of the negotiations and the agreements reached in the coming days. He also said that the Kremlin could arrange a phone call between Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President Donald Trump if necessary.

Secretary of State Rubio confirmed that Washington will contact Moscow on March 12 to discuss the results of the ceasefire negotiations. Speaking in Ireland, Mr. Rubio stressed that the US expected Russia's response and urged Moscow to seriously consider the possibility of ending the conflict. He also affirmed that if Russia refused, Washington would reassess its position as well as Moscow's true intentions.

In addition, White House special envoy for the Middle East Steve Witkoff is expected to travel to Moscow this weekend to meet with President Putin, but Russia has not confirmed this information.

Ukraine said it would continue discussions with the United States next week to clarify the terms of the ceasefire. Ukrainian President Andriy Yermak's chief of staff said the United States would pass on Kiev's proposals to Russia, stressing that the key to the peace process now lies with Moscow. He also said the international community would see who really wants peace and who is just talking about it.

Russia’s willingness to accept a ceasefire remains unclear. Some senior officials in Moscow have expressed skepticism about the prospect, saying Russia does not want to stop fighting because it is gaining ground on the battlefield. Senator Konstantin Kosachev has insisted that any agreement must be on Russia’s terms, not the United States’, and that Washington needs to understand that.

Lawmaker Mikhail Sheremet said Russia had no intention of prolonging the conflict but would not accept an unconditional ceasefire either.

Fyodor Lukyanov, a foreign policy expert with close ties to the Kremlin, said Russia's acceptance of the ceasefire would go against its previous position that no ceasefire could take place until the basis for lasting peace was established.

President Putin has repeatedly ruled out a temporary ceasefire, insisting that Russia’s goal is to address the root causes of the conflict. The Russian leader has issued a list of demands that include Ukraine abandoning its plans to join NATO, partially demilitarizing and ceding full control over four regions that Moscow has said it will annex by 2022.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov also affirmed that Moscow will not accept Western peacekeeping forces in Ukraine under any conditions.

While the possibility of a ceasefire remains unclear, Russia continues to gain ground on the battlefield. Russian troops have entered the central square of Sudzha, the largest town in Kursk, in what is seen as Moscow’s biggest breakthrough in the campaign to regain control of the region since Kiev’s surprise attack last year.

According to Ruslan Leviev, founder of the Conflict Intelligence Team, Ukrainian forces in Kursk appear to be making a controlled retreat, ceding positions without significant resistance. He said the entire town of Sudzha is now under Russian control.

Meanwhile, the eastern front in Ukraine has shown signs of stability as Russia's offensive stalls.