While a ceasefire in Ukraine appears increasingly likely, Russia will likely delay a deal to secure limitations on Western military support and peacekeeping forces in Ukraine, and an end to Kyiv's NATO aspirations. On March 13, Russian President Vladimir Putin said he agreed with the U.S. proposal for a 30-day ceasefire in Ukraine, but only as part of a broader deal that would lead to long-term peace by removing the ''root causes'' of the war. Most notably, Putin suggested that Ukrainian forces would have to withdraw from Russia's Kursk region, and appeared to demand that Ukraine not conduct additional mobilization measures, train soldiers or continue to receive Western weapons supplies during the 30-day pause in fighting. Putin also vaguely expressed a need to clarify who would control and monitor the ceasefire. On March 14, Trump said that his special envoy Steve Witkoff had ''very good and productive'' discussions with Putin...
