From: Transform Ukraine By Douglas Landro / March 13, 2025
As Russian forces capture Sudzha and advance through Kursk Oblast, Kremlin deliberates over US-Ukrainian temporary truce agreement while Trump warns of “devastating” consequences for Russian rejection
Summary of the Day – March 12, 2025
Putin has offered only a vague response to the US-Ukrainian 30-day ceasefire proposal, with Kremlin sources indicating they may drag out negotiations to extract maximum concessions while continuing battlefield operations. Russian forces made significant advances in Kursk Oblast, with Ukrainian troops retreating from Sudzha after seven months of occupation. Meanwhile, President Volodymyr Zelensky affirmed Ukraine’s commitment to the ceasefire despite not trusting Russia, stating he wanted to demonstrate to Washington and Europe that Kyiv is serious about ending the war.
Russian attacks across Ukraine overnight killed at least 14 civilians, including Syrian crew members of a cargo ship struck in Odesa port. The 30-day ceasefire—which would halt all combat operations on land, sea, and air if Russia agrees—emerged from high-level US-Ukrainian talks in Saudi Arabia, with President Donald Trump warning that Moscow could face “devastating” financial consequences should it reject the proposal. In a concerning development for Ukrainian security, a Russian intelligence operation recruited two teenagers in Ivano-Frankivsk for a bombing attack before remotely detonating their explosive devices, killing one youth and injuring the other along with two passersby.
Kremlin Offers Vague Response to Ceasefire Proposal, May Seek Preemptive Concessions
Kremlin Spokesperson Dmitry Peskov offered a vague response on March 12 to the US-Ukrainian 30-day ceasefire proposal, stating only that “we don’t want to get ahead of ourselves.” Peskov indicated that Russia expects US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and US National Security Advisor Mike Waltz to inform the Kremlin about the details of the US-Ukrainian negotiations.
Voice of Ukraine 