Putin dons military fatigues for frontline visit - as Trump threatens to destroy Russian economy in bid for peace deal
13 March 2025, 00:03 | Updated: 13 March 2025, 07:48
Vladimir Putin has visited the Russian frontline dressed in military uniform ahead of a potential ceasefire.
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Donald Trump claims a team of officials are on their way to Russia "right now" - as Moscow considers an American-proposed ceasefire in Ukraine.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s accepted the 30-day truce - but the Kremlin says it is awaiting details.
Earlier, a senior official in the Trump administration exclusively told LBC he's confident Russia will agree to a peace deal.
Sebastian Gorka, a deputy assistant to the US president, told Andrew Marr the extent of Russian losses during its three-year invasion of Ukraine made continuing the war politically difficult.
The Kremlin has so far said that it wants to speak to the US directly before making a decision on the ceasefire offer.
Mr Trump warned of "devastating" consequences to Russia if they didn't agree to the peace deal.
G7 foreign ministers are to meet in Canada as Russia considers the proposal.
The meeting will be attended by US secretary of state Marco Rubio who stated "the ball is truly in [Russia's] court".
Read more: Russian missiles strike Kyiv hours after Ukraine agrees to ceasefire deal
Trump official: ‘There will be serious consequences’ if Russia reject peace
On Wednesday evening, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Moscow was still awaiting "detailed information" on the proposal.
The G7 meeting is the latest in a round of diplomacy as the world scrambles to respond to Donald Trump's push for an end to the war in Ukraine.
Earlier in the week, military chiefs from Europe and beyond met in Paris to discuss plans for a peacekeeping force that could be deployed to Ukraine in the event of a ceasefire.
Relations between Ukraine and the US appeared to be faltering after an explosive meeting between Mr Trump and Volodymyr Zelenskyy nearly two weeks ago.
But after Ukraine agreed to the ceasefire offer on Tuesday Mr Trump invited Mr Zelenskyy back to the White House.
Mr Zelenskyy had also written a letter seeking to build diplomatic bridges after the meltdown.
Asked if relations had improved in the past two weeks, Mr Gorka said: "Without a doubt. We've seen the apology come from Kyiv. We've seen their desire to come back to the negotiating table. So without a doubt, I think that the wrong individuals were listened to on one side of the table 12 days ago.
"I think that has changed the dynamic and it's just a recognition of empirical fact. There is no leader in the world today, not a nation head, not a prime minister, not a president, not a Secretary general who can bring peace to Ukraine and to the European continent - except President Trump.
Ukraine accepts 30-day ceasefire deal: Ukrainian adviser reacts
"That is the only person who can bring the fighting to an end. And I think that has been realised by Kyiv, as it has also by Moscow."
Speaking earlier on Wednesday, Mr Trump said that his administration had heard "positive messages" from Russia about the ceasefire deal.
Mr Trump told reporters on Wednesday: "Hopefully we can get a ceasefire", adding that "it is up to Russia now".
He added: "We have people going to Russia right now".
Asked what the US could do to pressure Russia into signing the peace deal, he said: "There are things that wouldn't be pleasant in a financial sense. I can do things financially that would be very bad for Russia.
"I don't want to do that because I want to get peace."
He added: "In a financial sense, yes, we could do things that would be very bad for Russia, that would be devastating for Russia. But I don't want to do that."
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Wednesday that Washington will put the proposals to Moscow directly, adding that "the ball is truly in their court" and rejection of the plan would "make their intentions clear".
Sebastian Gorka on the Ukraine ceasefire deal
![Sir Keir Starmer has called on Vladimir Putin to "stop dragging his heels and get to the [negotiating] table", as Trump calls the Russian president "misguided."](https://images.lbc.co.uk/images/734580?width=320&crop=16_9&format=webp&signature=hCtUT-QBb1QuxMxVTF6Ch2nl6Ow=)
