Russia ‘studying’ US ceasefire proposal agreed to by Ukraine

Putin has a strong position because Russia is advancing,

the source said

If the response is ‘yes,’ then we know we’ve made real progress, and there’s a real chance for peace. If the response is ‘no,’ it would be highly unfortunate, and it’ll make their intentions clear,

he said

Trump is likely to find that Putin believes he now has the upper hand in relations with the US because of his sense that the west has lost its dominance in global affairs.”

As John Lough, an associate fellow at Chatham House, wrote presciently last year

Russian exports to the US dropped by more than 80% last year, compared to the prewar period, to about $3bn, the lowest since 1992. The only damaging banking sanctions the US can swiftly impose would be the end of an exception from the existing measures, which allows some Russian banks to receive payments for energy exports.”

As Alexander Kolyandr of the Center for European Policy Analysis said

So yes, we are in favour of a truce with both hands, but we need at least framework guarantees and at least from the United States,

the source said

There is a reference to Ukraine’s security there. This indicates that the topic was discussed,

he said

Suffice it to say there’s going to be multiple points of contact with the Russians to gauge, are they willing to do this or not."

However, he added

As both American and Ukrainian delegations have said, the ball is now in the Russian court. Russia must now agree to a ceasefire and an end to the fighting too."

He added