NEW DELHI, March 14. /TASS/. By extending gratitude to the leaders of India, China, Brazil and South Africa for efforts on the Ukrainian settlement in his address, Russian President Vladimir Putin elevated BRICS’ geopolitical significance and strengthened Moscow’s diplomatic leverage, Robinder Sachdev, president of India’s Imagindia Institute think tank, told TASS.
"Notably, Putin extended gratitude to the leaders of China, India, Brazil, and South Africa, the founding BRICS nations, thereby implicitly elevating BRICS's geopolitical significance in future global negotiations, particularly vis-a-vis the US. He has made this move to strengthen Russia’s diplomatic leverage within an emerging multipolar world order," the expert said as he commented on the Russian leader’s address.
Moreover, "by opening his remarks with gratitude to [US] President [Donald] Trump, Putin has set the stage for constructive engagement with the US president," Sachdev added. "However, beyond diplomatic niceties, his response remains measured and conditional. He signals a willingness to engage but insists that the discussions must be comprehensive," he said. The analyst expects negotiating the details of a long-term resolution to be time consuming, while chances of an immediate ceasefire slim.
"Putin's emphasis on 'long-term peace' rather than a temporary ceasefire underscores his intent to embed Moscow’s strategic interests into any future agreement. His insistence on a permanent settlement will be a major sticking point, given Russia’s current non-negotiable demands regarding territory and security guarantees," he stressed.
Putin has hinted at a high-level negotiation with Trump, likely via a personal phone call, the expert noted. "In that call, he may offer a token concession that Trump can frame as a diplomatic win. While Trump might push for a 30-day ceasefire, Putin is unlikely to agree but could propose a shorter humanitarian pause, perhaps two weeks for evacuations, or some other symbolic win for Trump. A phone call may advance discussions, but Putin’s focus on ‘long-term peace’ suggests a drawn-out negotiation process," he concluded.
Russian President Vladimir Putin said at a news conference after talks with his Belarusian counterpart Alexander Lukashenko that Russia would agree to a proposal to end hostilities as long as it leads to a long-term peace and addresses the root causes of the crisis. In his address he thanked the leaders of China, India, Brazil and South Africa for their efforts to help resolve the Ukrainian conflict. They are working on the issue, devoting much time to it, with these efforts aimed at achieving a noble goal of ending military operations and putting an end to the loss of life, Putin said.
On March 11, the US and Ukrainian delegations negotiated in Saudi Arabia’s Jeddah. According to the joint final statement, Kiev agreed to a 30-day ceasefire and the signing of the agreement on minerals with Washington. In turn, the US will immediately resume military aid and intelligence sharing with Ukraine.