Putin sets out strings of conditions for Ukraine ceasefire plan, Zelenskyy warns of manipulation

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday signalled that he is open to considering a monthlong ceasefire proposed by the United States and Ukraine, but attached a series of conditions that could delay or derail any agreement.The ceasefire proposal, negotiated between US and Ukrainian officials in recent talks in Saudi Arabia, would offer a temporary halt to hostilities in the Russia-Ukraine war, which entered its third year following Putin’s full-scale invasion in 2022. Ukraine has signalled its willingness to explore the ceasefire, but the Russian President’s list of demands raises questions about the feasibility of such a truce.“We support the idea in principle,” Putin said, referring to the ceasefire initiative. “But there are several issues that need to be addressed, and we need to have detailed discussions with our American counterparts and partners.”Among the stipulations, Putin suggested that any ceasefire must include restrictions on Ukraine’s ability to mobilize more troops or import weaponry. Such limits, if enforced, would put Kyiv at a disadvantage if fighting were to resume after the ceasefire. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy swiftly criticized Putin’s remarks, warning that they were filled with so many conditions that a truce could be impossible to achieve.The Russian President has laid out so many preconditions that nothing will work, or it will be delayed as long as possible,” Zelenskyy said in an evening address, accusing Putin of manipulating the ceasefire talks to benefit Moscow.