US awaits Russia’s ceasefire terms with Ukraine to better understand Putin – Rubio
The United States expects Russia to present its terms for a potential ceasefire in the war against Ukraine, as Washington aims to better understand the intentions of Russian dictator Vladimir Putin.
That’s according to US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who made the statement during a Senate hearing, Censor.NET reports.
According to Rubio, Putin is approaching the peace process with a cold calculation of costs and benefits for Russia. However, the Kremlin leader has clearly not achieved the kind of war he originally envisioned.
"When he invaded Ukraine, I think he expected the government to collapse and to be welcomed as a liberator — but that didn’t happen. In fact, Russia today controls less territory than it did after the first two months of the war," Rubio noted.
He also recalled that during the negotiations in Istanbul, Ukraine and Russia agreed on a prisoner exchange in the "1,000 for 1,000" format, which he described as "a positive outcome."
"As far as we understand, the Russians are preparing the conditions they will demand for a ceasefire, which would open the door to broader negotiations. We are waiting for those terms, and once I see what they look like, I will have a much clearer understanding of Mr. Putin’s calculations," the US Secretary of State added.
Background
On the evening of May 19, former U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin held a phone conversation that lasted over two hours.
Following the call, the Kremlin leader stated that Moscow was ready to propose and work with Ukraine on a potential memorandum outlining a future peace agreement. At the same time, Putin emphasized the need to find compromises that would satisfy both sides.
Donald Trump, for his part, announced that Russia and Ukraine would immediately begin negotiations on a ceasefire and an end to the war.
