RUSSIAN President Vladimir Putin has expressed gratitude to world leaders, including United States President Donald Trump, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, for their endeavours to address the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.
Speaking at a joint press conference with Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko on Thursday, Putin remarked that Russia agrees to a cessation of hostilities but maintains that any ceasefire must lead to a durable peace and tackle the root causes of the crisis.
“As for Ukraine’s readiness for a ceasefire, I will tell you how I view it, of course. But I would like to start by thanking the President of the United States, Mr Trump, for paying so much attention to the Ukraine settlement. We all have enough of our own domestic affairs to attend to. But many leaders of states, among them the President of the People’s Republic of China, the Prime Minister of India, the Presidents of Brazil and the Republic of South Africa are addressing this issue and give it a lot of their time. We are grateful to all of them for that because this activity is aimed at achieving a noble mission – the mission of ending hostilities and loss of life,” Putin said.
Putin further stated that Russia acknowledges the proposals for a ceasefire but insisted that such a move should result in long-term peace and ensure that the underlying causes of the conflict are addressed.
The Russian leader also referenced the recent discussions between the United States and Ukraine in Saudi Arabia, suggesting that Kyiv’s apparent willingness for a ceasefire could be influenced by American pressure.
“Now, on Ukraine’s readiness to cease the hostilities. You know, on the face of it, the US-Ukraine meeting in Saudi Arabia may look like the Ukrainian side made this decision under pressure from the United States. In fact, I am absolutely convinced that the Ukrainian side should have asked the Americans for this decision most emphatically, in view of the situation evolving on the ground, as has just been mentioned here,” Putin stated.
Ukraine had, on 11 March, signalled its readiness to accept a US proposal for an “immediate, interim 30-day ceasefire,” extendable by mutual consent, provided Russia agreed to the conditions and implemented them simultaneously.
US President Donald Trump welcomed Ukraine’s decision following peace talks held in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Expressing hope that Russia would also consent to the ceasefire, Trump stressed the importance of halting the conflict. “Soldiers of both Russia and Ukraine are being killed in this horrible war,” he stated, adding, “Reaching a ceasefire is very important.”
India’s position on the conflict
Prime Minister Narendra Modi had earlier commended Trump’s peace efforts, reiterating India’s stance that the conflict should be resolved through dialogue and negotiations.
In February, Modi stated that India was not neutral in the matter but rather positioned itself on the side of peace. “I have always been in close contact with Russia and Ukraine. I have met the leaders of both countries. Many people are in a misconception that India is neutral, but I want to reiterate that India is not neutral; we are on a side, and that is peace,” Modi remarked during a joint press conference at the White House.
He also underlined India’s long-standing position that a solution to the crisis could not be achieved through warfare and lauded Trump’s diplomatic initiatives in this regard.
In July last year, Modi travelled to Russia to participate in the 22nd India-Russia Bilateral Summit, followed by a visit to Ukraine in August. During a bilateral meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, Modi reinforced India’s advocacy for a peaceful resolution through diplomatic engagement.
