Russia’s President Vladimir Putin has rejected an immediate and full ceasefire in Ukraine, agreeing only to halt attacks on energy infrastructure, during a phone call negotiation with US President Donald Trump.
The Russian leader declined to sign up to the comprehensive month-long ceasefire that Trump’s team recently agreed with Ukrainian negotiations during talks in Saudi Arabia.
Putin again set conditions which have already been rejected by Ukraine and its European allies. He said a comprehensive ceasefire can only take place if there is Ukraine’s allies stop all military aid and intelligence sharing. The Russian President also said that Ukraine must end all military mobilisation.
The US and Russian leaders did agree that further peace talks would take place in the Middle East.
Trump posted on social media that the phone call with the Russian leader was “very good and productive…. we agreed to an immediate Ceasefire on all Energy and Infrastructure, with an understanding that we will be working quickly to have a Complete Ceasefire and, ultimately, an END to this very horrible War between Russia and Ukraine.”
However the outcome of the phone call amounts to a disappointing lack of progress for the Trump administration on its plan to end the war.
Clive Myrie presents BBC News at Ten reporting by Sarah Smith in Washington and James Landale in Kyiv.
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