These are signs of future difficult negotiations. Several American emissaries are expected this Thursday, March 13 in Russia to participate in talks with the power of the Kremlin on the war in Ukraine. A proposal for an American ceasefire, approved by kyiv at the start of the week, should be at the heart of these discussions. This 30-day truce, called his wishes by Donald Trump, be accepted by Moscow? The first returns of Russian officials on this subject show that the exchanges between the different parties promise to be difficult.
In an interview with Russian television this Thursday, the diplomatic advisor to Vladimir Putin, Ioura Ouchakov, warned: the establishment of a cease-fire under these conditions would only be “a respite” granted to Ukrainian troops. This ex-Russian ambassador in the United States insisted on Moscow’s displayed will to find a “long-term” settlement of the conflict, which takes into account “interests” and Russian “concerns”. Vladimir Putin is expected to “probably” speak on the American proposal on Thursday, he said.
Warning a “direct armed conflict”
The latter fell in silence in recent days, not communicating any official reaction to the American proposal. An attitude deplored by the Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky, who accuses the Russian power of seeking to “prolong the war”. “Unfortunately, for more than 24 hours already, the world has not yet heard a significant response from Russia,” regretted the Ukrainian head of state on the social network X. “We hope that the pressure of the United States” will “force Russia to end war.”
If Vladimir Putin is silent for the moment, his relatives are sure to send messages to the international community. The idea of sending European or even British troops on Ukrainian soil to guarantee peace once the agreement was reached with Russia was questioned this Thursday by Maria Zakharova, the spokesperson for Russian diplomacy. “It is absolutely unacceptable to us that the armed forces of other states in Ukraine are deployed. […] All this would mean the involvement of these countries in a direct armed conflict with our country, to which we will respond by all the means available, “said the manager, addressing the press.
A “harmful provocation”, estimates Moscow
A warning in continuity of the Russian position vis-à-vis potential Western troops sent to Ukrainian territory. Indeed, Moscow has already noted many times opposed to any form of military contingent of countries allied with Ukraine – a member of NATO or the European Union – as a guarantee of peacekeeping or security for kyiv. “We believe that the simple fact of mentioning such projects is a blatant provocation, which is not intended to resolve the conflict, but to maintain unhealthy and harmful illusions among the senior officials of the kyiv regime,” said Maria Zakharova.
The proposal for such a sending of troops was notably put forward by Emmanuel Macron, as well as by British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, during their respective trips to Washington at the end of February. During his television speech on March 5, the French president spoke of a potential “deployment of European forces” in Ukraine. “These would not go to fight today, would not go to fight on the front line, but would be there on the contrary once the peace has been signed to guarantee full respect,” he said.