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Russia ‘studying’ US ceasefire proposal agreed to by Ukraine

Russia ‘studying’ US ceasefire proposal agreed to by Ukraine
By Joseph Stepansky
Published On 12 Mar 2025

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12 Mar 2025 - 22:00
 (22:00 GMT)

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For more context on the conflict, read our story about what Ukraine’s acceptance of the US proposal for a 30-day ceasefire could mean here.

Or see how Russians are responding to the latest developments here.

Ukrainian troops in the Kharkiv region [File: Alex Babenko/AP Photo]
12 Mar 2025 - 21:55
 (21:55 GMT)

Here’s what happened today

We will be closing this live page soon. Here’s a recap of today’s top events:

  • Russia said it is studying a US ceasefire proposal that Ukraine has already accepted, as US officials head to Moscow for talks.
  • Ukrainian President Zelenskyy said he expects “strong steps” from the US against Russia if Moscow does not accept the proposal.
  • Trump said there had been “positive messages” on the effort, stressing that reaching a truce is now “up to Russia”.
  • Russia has claimed major gains in the Kursk region, as Ukrainian military officials said forces may have to be relocated to save lives.
  • European defence ministers promised to increase cooperation, as the UK said it is “accelerating” building a coalition of the willing to ensure Ukrainian security.
12 Mar 2025 - 21:43
 (21:43 GMT)
Analysis

Why is Trump sending his Middle East envoy to Russia?

By Heidi Zhou-Castro

Reporting from Washington, DC

The person that President Trump is sending to Moscow right now is Steve Witkoff, who is the Middle East envoy, interestingly enough. His specialty is not Russia-Ukraine.

However, Witkoff was successful in the last round of talks with Russia back in February when he secured the release of an American prisoner, Marc Fogel, from a Russian prison. So, there might be some rapport already built up between Witkoff and Vladimir Putin himself.

The two are said to have spent at least three hours together in that earlier meeting, and it seems that Witkoff has now been handed the responsibility of being the main conduit for these negotiations between the US and Russia on this ceasefire proposal.

US special envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff [File: Chandan Khanna/AFP]
12 Mar 2025 - 21:30
 (21:30 GMT)
Analysis

Sticking points and risks remain in ceasefire proposal

Andriy Zagorodnyuk, Ukraine’s former defence minister, has warned that challenging issues remain despite improved US-Ukraine relations that saw Kyiv accept Washington’s 30-day ceasefire proposal.

“We still don’t understand what Russia will want in exchange for peace. We still don’t know whether the US will take the Ukrainian position or the position that Ukraine’s opinion is basically not as important as Russia’s,” Zagorodnyuk told Reuters news agency.

Ihor Zhovkva, a senior Ukrainian official who took part in the US-Ukraine talks in Jeddah, said that one key issue – Ukraine’s territorial integrity – has not yet been addressed. “Ukraine will never cede any territories. It’s very simple,” Zhovka told Reuters.

Keir Giles, a senior consulting fellow at the Russia and Eurasia programme at Chatham House, also cautioned that “cementing the front lines in their current position without any long-term guarantee of ensuring that the war will actually come to an end risks rewarding Russia by making the current zone of control permanent”.

Giles told Reuters that such an outcome would freeze the conflict in place “as opposed to resolving it”.

12 Mar 2025 - 21:15
 (21:15 GMT)

WATCH: How has Russia responded to the ceasefire proposal?

12 Mar 2025 - 21:00
 (21:00 GMT)

Photos: Putin visits Kursk command post

The Kremlin has released footage of what it said was Putin’s visit to the Kursk region, where Ukrainian troops have been fighting inside Russia for months.

The Russian president was dressed in military fatigue as he met army officials.

Putin accompanied by Russian Chief of General Staff Valery Gerasimov, visits military headquarters in the Kursk region of Russia [Russian Presidential Press Service via AP]
Russia has claimed major advances in Kursk in recent days [Russian Presidential Press Service via AP]
Putin’s visit to Kursk comes amid a US-backed proposal for a 30-day truce [Russian Presidential Press Service via AP]

12 Mar 2025 - 20:45
 (20:45 GMT)

Trump ally ‘extremely’ sceptical Russia will accept truce

Senator Lindsey Graham, a Republican foreign policy hawk, lauds Trump’s efforts to halt the fighting in Ukraine.

“I am extremely skeptical that Russia will accept the ceasefire and I am very doubtful they want to end this war. Zelensky has passed the test of wanting peace. It is now up to Putin to show his cards,” Graham wrote in a social media post.

“In order to move toward peace, I will be introducing bone-breaking sanctions and tariffs against Russia before the end of the week. If they do not pursue the ceasefire with the same vigor as Ukraine, there will be hell to pay.”

12 Mar 2025 - 20:30
 (20:30 GMT)

Russian bombers conduct flight over neutral Baltic Sea waters

The state-run news agency RIA has reported the flight involved two Russian Tu-22M3 strategic bombers, citing the Defence Ministry.

It said fighter jets from foreign countries accompanied the Russian planes during certain stages of their flight, which lasted more than four hours, without specifying which countries.

All countries that border the waters – Sweden, Poland, Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia  – are members of NATO.

Russian jets were repeatedly intercepted over the Baltic last year in what analysts have described as both surveillance missions and acts of defiance against the bloc.

Russian Tu-22M3 bombers are seen during a military parade in Moscow, Russia [Maxim Shemetov/Reuters]
12 Mar 2025 - 20:15
 (20:15 GMT)

War ‘cannot end on Russia’s terms’: US Republican senator

Lisa Murkowski says it is “necessary” for the US to continue to support Ukraine in the conflict against Russia.

“We all want this war to end, but it cannot end on Russia’s terms. If it does, we should expect nothing more than a temporary respite before the resumption of hostilities,” Murkowski wrote in a social media post. “The appeasement of tyrants does not bring peace.”

12 Mar 2025 - 20:00
 (20:00 GMT)

Ukrainian commander reports heavy bombdardment in Kursk

Top Ukrainian commander Oleksandr Syrskyii has said Russian forces are seeking to push Ukrainian troops out of Kursk and bring the heaviest fighting back to Ukrainian territory.

“The enemy is using assault units of airborne troops and special operations forces to break through our defence, push our troops out of the Kursk region of the Russian Federation and transfer combat operations to the territory of Sumy and Kharkiv regions,” Syrskyii said.

He added that Russia has suffered heavy losses while trying to “achieve political goals at any cost”.

The military official said that Russian military jets have pounded the outskirts of Sudzha, saying troops would move to “more favourable positions” if it was needed to save lives. He added that Ukrainian forces would hold territory in the Kursk region “as long as it is appropriate and necessary”.

12 Mar 2025 - 19:45
 (19:45 GMT)

Putin visits Kursk region as Russia claims major gains

The Russian president was filmed visiting troops in the Kursk region, where Ukraine had launched its first major incursion into Russian territory in August of last year.

Putin said that any fighters captured in the Kursk region would be treated as “terrorists” and would not be protected under the Geneva Convention’s provisions for prisoners of war, the state-run RIA news agency reported.

Chief of the General Staff of Russian Armed Forces Valery Gerasimov, meanwhile, said that Russian forces had retaken about 1,100sq km (386sq miles) of territory in the border region, including 24 settlements over the past five days.

The Washington, DC-based Institute for the Study of War also said in its most recent update that there had been “confirmed advances” in Kursk, with Russian forces approaching the strategic city of Sudzha.

Chief of the General Staff of Russian Armed Forces Valery Gerasimov, right, inspects troops involved in the Russia-Ukraine conflict in the Kursk region of Russia [File: Russian Defence Ministry/Handout via Reuters]
12 Mar 2025 - 19:30
 (19:30 GMT)

Trump says US can put ‘devastating’ financial pressure on Russia

The US president says Washington can take “devastating” steps against the Russian economy.

“I can do things financially that would be very bad for Russia,” Trump told reporters. “I don’t want to do that because I want to get peace.”

Last week, Trump also threatened to impose “large-scale” sanctions and tariffs against Russia.

Moscow is already under heavy sanctions by Washington and its allies.

12 Mar 2025 - 19:15
 (19:15 GMT)

Many countries interested in new Ukraine security ‘architecture’: France

European Union defence ministers have been meeting in Paris to discuss support for Ukraine.

At a joint news conference, French Defence Minister Sebastien Lecornu said about 15 countries have expressed interest in discussing a new security “architecture” for Ukraine.

German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius, meanwhile, called for a more unified European approach to defence procurement, saying there was no time for “superfluous and costly” bureaucracy.

For his part, UK Defence Minister John Healey said the country’s prime minister will host a summit of leaders next week. He added that London was “accelerating” efforts to build a “coalition of the willing” to ensure Ukraine’s security.

French Defence Minister Sebastien Lecornu poses with Poland’s Defence Minister Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz, German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius and Italy’s Defence Minister Guido Crosetto [Benoit Tessier/Reuters]
12 Mar 2025 - 19:00
 (19:00 GMT)

Trump says Zelenskyy ‘didn’t seem to want peace’

The US president says Ukraine may have been the “more difficult party” to deal with to resolve the conflict.

“You were here a week ago when some interesting things happened,” he told reporters referring to his contentious meeting with Ukraine’s Zelenskyy late in February. “I had somebody that didn’t seem to want peace. Now he’s agreed to peace. So we’ll see what happens.”

Trump and Zelenskyy in the Oval Office at the White House, February 28 [File: Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post via Getty Images]
12 Mar 2025 - 18:50
 (18:50 GMT)
Developing

White House confirms Witkoff travelling to Russia

The confirmation comes following reports that US Middle East Envoy Steve Witkoff would travel to Moscow and meet with Putin.

Trump had earlier said negotiators were headed to Russia, without identifying who was going.

“Mr Witkoff is travelling to Moscow later this week,” Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters. But she did not confirm if he would meet with the Russian leader.

Leavitt also said US National Security Advisor Mike Waltz spoke with his Russian counterpart today.

12 Mar 2025 - 18:45
 (18:45 GMT)

JD Vance expresses optimism as US officials head to Moscow

Speaking during a White House meeting with Trump and Irish Taoiseach Micheal Martin, the US vice president has expressed hope about reaching a truce as US officials travel to Russia to discuss the ceasefire proposal.

“We’ve got some conversations that are happening on the phone and in person over the next couple of days,” Vance said.

“We think we’re in a very good place where the Ukrainians have agreed to a ceasefire and we’re now going to see whether we can get the Russians to agree to a ceasefire, too,” he said.

12 Mar 2025 - 18:30
 (18:30 GMT)

‘Prosperity and security are two sides of the same coin’: EU official

European Council President Antonio Costa suggests that the European Union’s push to boost its military spending amid the uncertainty over Trump’s support for Ukraine will improve the bloc’s economy.

“Prosperity and security are two sides of the same coin,” Costa wrote in a social media post after meeting German Chancellor Olaf Scholz.

“Investing in our defence also means investing in our industries, in our technology, in jobs for our citizens.”

 

12 Mar 2025 - 18:15
 (18:15 GMT)

Polish president backs Turkiye’s offer to host future Russia-Ukraine talks

Donald Tusk has been meeting with Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Ankara, where the Turkish leader again said Turkiye is willing to host any future direct talks between Ukraine and Russia.

Tusk endorsed that offer.

“I have given President Erdogan a clear proposal for Turkiye to take on the greatest possible co-responsibility for the peace process, guaranteeing stability and security in our entire region,” Tusk said.

Turkiye is a member of the NATO alliance, but also maintains close ties with Russia.

Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan (right) and Poland’s Prime Minister Donald Tusk arrive at a press conference in Ankara, Turkey [Mustafa Kamaci/Turkish Presidential Press Office/Handout via Reuters]
12 Mar 2025 - 18:00
 (18:00 GMT)

European Parliament ‘strongly deplores’ attempts at ‘blackmailing’ Ukraine into surrender

The European Parliament has voted in favour of the resolution in support of Ukraine, saying the EU legislature “strongly deplores any attempts at blackmailing Ukraine’s leadership into surrender to the Russian aggressor for the sole purpose of announcing a so-called ‘peace deal'”.

The document said among other things that the EU body “considers that the current attempts by the US administration to negotiate a ceasefire and peace agreement with Russia over the heads of Ukraine and other European states, in which the latter are confronted with the outcome without their meaningful participation, as counterproductive and dangerous”.

It accused the US of “empowering the belligerent state, thus showing that an aggressive policy is not punished but rewarded”.

A general view of the hemicycle at the European Parliament in Brussels, Belgium [File: Yves Herman/Reuters]
12 Mar 2025 - 17:45
 (17:45 GMT)

Russian inflation hits two-year high amid war spending

Russia’s annual inflation rate jumped above 10 percent in February to its highest level in two years, new official data have shown.

The rise comes despite aggressive interest rate hikes by the country’s central bank, meant to combat the inflation caused by massive government spending on the war in Ukraine.

Annual inflation ticked up to 10.1 percent year-on-year last month, compared with 9.9 percent in January, according to the Rosstat statistics service. That is the highest figure since February 2023.

Since launching its full-scale invasion of Ukraine more than three years ago, Russia has ramped up military spending to levels not seen since the Soviet Union era.