Russo, Ceasefire on the 30th: "Not an Agreement, We Decide Our Position"

Analysis Suggests Effective Rejection of Ceasefire Proposal

Russia has stated that it will decide on the ceasefire issue independently, in response to the United States and Ukraine's plan to pursue a ceasefire on the 30th.

According to Russian news agency TASS and others on the 12th (local time), Maria Zakharova, spokesperson for the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said, "The position of the Russian Federation does not come from agreements or efforts made overseas," adding, "The place where the position of the Russian Federation is formed is within the Russian Federation." This has been interpreted as Russia effectively rejecting the proposal.

Russian Senator Konstantin Kosachev also stated on Telegram that "Since Russia is advancing (in Ukraine), this is a different matter for Russia," and argued, "All agreements, including the need for understanding compromise, must be made on our terms, not those of the United States."

The United States and Ukraine said in a statement the previous day, "Ukraine is ready to accept the immediate 30-day temporary ceasefire proposed by the United States, which can be extended by mutual agreement of the parties," adding, "This requires Russia's acceptance and implementation."

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov made similar remarks in an interview the previous day. He said in an interview, "In the context of the Ukraine crisis, Russia knows what it must do to avoid compromises that would endanger the lives of its people." He emphasized that the approach to resolving the Ukraine crisis should focus on removing the root causes of the conflict.

He further stated that the presence of peacekeeping forces and NATO member country troops on Ukrainian territory is a threat to Russia, and Russia will not accept this under any circumstances.