21 Mar, 01:12

State Department believes world is just a ‘breath away’ from full ceasefire in Ukraine

Spokesperson Tammy Bruce stated 'that is what America has helped facilitate'

WASHINGTON, March 21. /TASS/. US State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce stated that the world is just a breath away from a full ceasefire in Ukraine.

"We are just a breath away from a full ceasefire, and then we can begin to talk about not just peace for a week or six months, but an enduring peace that the people of Ukraine and Russia and the world can rely on, and that is what America has helped facilitate, and that’s what we’re continuing to do each day," Bruce said as quoted by the Hill newspaper.

Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President Donald Trump held a phone call on March 18, discussing the idea of a 30-day ceasefire in the Ukraine conflict, ways to prevent a further escalation of tensions and a number of international issues, the Kremlin said. According to its account of the call, the Russian leader supported the US president’s initiative for an energy and infrastructure ceasefire in Ukraine. The White House said in the readout that the two leaders also agreed to begin technical negotiations "on implementation of a maritime ceasefire in the Black Sea, full ceasefire and permanent peace." The key factor for the Russian side highlighted by Putin is a complete suspension of foreign military aid and intelligence transfer to Kiev, the Kremlin emphasized.

On Thursday, Russian presidential aide Yury Ushakov said that consultations between Russian and US experts on Ukraine would take place on March 24 in Riyadh (Saudi Arabia). The Russian delegation will be headed by Senator Grigory Karasin and FSB Director Advisor Sergey Beseda.

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