As of March 19, both Russian and Ukrainian officials have yet to finalize the details of a proposed ceasefire on long-range strikes, the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) reports. Despite US President Donald Trump’s statement on 18 March that a ceasefire had been agreed, conflicting reports from both sides have led to confusion over the specifics of the agreement.
Confusion over the terms of the ceasefire
Trump’s reported agreement with Russian President Vladimir Putin on 18 March indicated that the ceasefire would apply to “energy and infrastructure,” but Russian officials, including Kremlin Spokesperson Dmitry Peskov, have contradicted these claims. Peskov stated that the ceasefire would only apply to “energy infrastructure facilities.” Peskov’s comments, made on 19 March, were inconsistent with the US and Ukrainian statements. US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff confirmed that the ceasefire covered “energy and infrastructure in general.” Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy also responded, stating that Ukraine was “ready to implement” a ceasefire concerning “energy and civilian infrastructure.”
Putin’s attempts to manipulate the situation
A Kremlin readout of the phone call on 18 March indicated that Putin allegedly gave an order to Russian military forces to adhere to the ceasefire, even though no formal agreement had been reached. Russian state media has echoed this claim, alleging that Ukrainian drone strikes violated the ceasefire agreement, despite the fact that both sides have not officially agreed on any terms.
“Putin’s attempt to confuse and manipulate the temporary strikes ceasefire and blame Ukraine for violations even before the agreement has come into effect is an indicator of how Putin will likely exploit any future agreements,” ISW says.
Drone strikes
Russian Ministry of Defense reports indicated that Russian forces responded to a series of Ukrainian drone strikes. The Russian MoD claimed that seven Russian drones had been en route to Ukrainian energy targets when Putin ordered military action to neutralize them. According to the MoD’s unconfirmed claims, six drones were allegedly downed by Pantsir air defense systems, and one was destroyed by a Russian fighter jet.
Meanwhile, Ukrainian officials reported that Russian drones targeted several Ukrainian locations, including a hospital in Sumy Oblast and unspecified areas in Donetsk Oblast.
Contradictions in the Kremlin’s statements
The Russian government’s contradictions extend to the topic of foreign military aid to Ukraine. While Trump said he and Putin did not discuss military aid, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov claimed that the issue was addressed. This inconsistency adds to the confusion surrounding the ongoing negotiations and the details of the ceasefire.
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