Washington - Saba:
The American newspaper Axios reported on Saturday, citing European officials, that US threats to withdraw from the negotiation process to resolve the Ukrainian crisis are likely aimed at Kyiv, not Moscow.The newspaper reported that US Secretary of State Marco Rubio "told European officials on Thursday (the day before yesterday) during a meeting on Ukraine in Paris that US President Donald Trump's patience was running out and that he might soon announce Washington's withdrawal from the negotiation process to resolve the conflict in Ukraine." Trump himself made this public statement the following day.
According to the newspaper, three European diplomats agreed that "Rubio's comments were primarily directed at the Ukrainians." A source close to the Ukrainian government also stated that "Rubio's comments appeared to be aimed at pressuring Ukraine."
At the same time, the newspaper noted that "European diplomats said that Rubio did not mention increasing pressure on Russia during the Paris meetings."
On March 11, the Saudi city of Jeddah hosted talks between delegations from the United States and Ukraine to reach a solution to the Ukrainian crisis. During these talks, Ukraine expressed its willingness to accept a US proposal for an immediate and temporary ceasefire for 30 days, which could be extended by mutual agreement.
US President Donald Trump expressed his hope that Russia would agree to the ceasefire proposal in Ukraine.
For his part, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced his acceptance of a US proposal to cease hostilities in Ukraine. Putin emphasized that this proposal is only acceptable if it leads to long-term peace.
Putin said, "We agree with the proposal for a ceasefire, but we proceed from the principle that a ceasefire must lead to lasting peace and eliminate the root causes of this crisis," noting that "there are issues that require careful consideration by both sides."
US President Donald Trump confirmed that his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, commented on the US proposal for a 30-day ceasefire in Ukraine as "very promising but incomplete," noting that there were positive signs regarding Moscow's position.
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