BEIJING, March 21. /TASS/. Washington can influence Kiev to a considerable extent, but cannot have a significant impact on Moscow, Cui Hongjian, professor of the Academy of Regional and Global Governance at Beijing Foreign Studies University, said.
"To bring both Russia and Ukraine to the negotiating table, the US seems like pressing Ukraine to accept a deal while attempting to placate Russia, given Washington holds significant leverage over Kyiv but little influence over Moscow," the expert told the Global Times.
Li Haidong, a professor at the China Foreign Affairs University, in turn, told the newspaper that the US realizes that an immediate and comprehensive ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine is unattainable. "The US is pursuing a phased approach, hoping it will eventually lead to a broader peace deal," Li Haidong said. "However, even this path would be full of difficulties," he emphasized.
Russian President Vladimir Putin and his US counterpart Donald Trump held a telephone conversation on March 18, during which they discussed a 30-day ceasefire, conditions for preventing escalation and a number of international topics. According to the Kremlin press service, the Russian leader agreed with the US head of state’s proposal on the mutual refusal of the parties to the conflict in Ukraine from strikes on energy infrastructure facilities. The White House, in turn, said that the sides also agreed to start technical talks on the introduction of a "ceasefire in the Black Sea, a full ceasefire and permanent peace." A key condition for working on the settlement of the conflict should be "a complete cessation of foreign military aid and the provision of intelligence information to Kiev," the Kremlin emphasized.