Tom Bateman

that there is this agreement or that Mr Putin says he will stop missile strikes on energy infrastructure, although we don't yet know if the Ukrainians will also agree to that far, far lesser form of truce than they said they were ready for with the Americans.

Well, there certainly aren't any of the kind of concessions that you might have expected from Russia if there was to be a full 30-day ceasefire and if that was to start immediately. And so I think, you know, the Ukrainians will very much see this as...

Well, there certainly aren't any of the kind of concessions that you might have expected from Russia if there was to be a full 30-day ceasefire and if that was to start immediately. And so I think, you know, the Ukrainians will very much see this as...

vladimir putin playing for time while at the same time adding a string of conditions and trying to get mr trump to bend to that position now what we have seen in the statement from the kremlin is that the russian leader is saying that there is a key condition

vladimir putin playing for time while at the same time adding a string of conditions and trying to get mr trump to bend to that position now what we have seen in the statement from the kremlin is that the russian leader is saying that there is a key condition

to continue negotiations or to pick up further negotiations over ending the war and that is that there must be an end to all western military and intelligence support for ukraine now that of course is an absolutely existential issue for the ukrainians i think what's happened there is president putin has sort of got a taste for mr trump's readiness to potentially do that to cut off

to continue negotiations or to pick up further negotiations over ending the war and that is that there must be an end to all western military and intelligence support for ukraine now that of course is an absolutely existential issue for the ukrainians i think what's happened there is president putin has sort of got a taste for mr trump's readiness to potentially do that to cut off

ammunition and arms supplies to the Ukrainians, because he did that a couple of weeks ago to leverage the Ukrainians. And so he's now making that a key condition of ending the war. In effect, to go forward with the negotiations, he said that he says that America has to stop arming Ukraine.

ammunition and arms supplies to the Ukrainians, because he did that a couple of weeks ago to leverage the Ukrainians. And so he's now making that a key condition of ending the war. In effect, to go forward with the negotiations, he said that he says that America has to stop arming Ukraine.

You have on the one hand the demand or the call for an immediate ceasefire. That's what the joint Ukrainian and United States statement says. And then of course we had the statements from Vladimir Putin yesterday which appeared to add a

You have on the one hand the demand or the call for an immediate ceasefire. That's what the joint Ukrainian and United States statement says. And then of course we had the statements from Vladimir Putin yesterday which appeared to add a

And that has led to some, particularly Europeans, as you were hearing there, suggesting that this is a tactic to sort of string the Americans along or play for time. So I pressed Mr Rubio on that very point.

And that has led to some, particularly Europeans, as you were hearing there, suggesting that this is a tactic to sort of string the Americans along or play for time. So I pressed Mr Rubio on that very point.

And as you heard him say there, that basically they believe that, first of all, that this process shouldn't be dictated by what is being said in public, but rather the contact, the private contact between the Kremlin and the Americans, which, of course, we had in the form of President Trump's envoy, Steve Witkoff, traveling to Moscow last night and talking to Vladimir Putin.

And as you heard him say there, that basically they believe that, first of all, that this process shouldn't be dictated by what is being said in public, but rather the contact, the private contact between the Kremlin and the Americans, which, of course, we had in the form of President Trump's envoy, Steve Witkoff, traveling to Moscow last night and talking to Vladimir Putin.

So there was a sense that they want to kind of study exactly what the Russian president is saying to them before they work out what the response might be. But there you have you do have a sense of sort of inconsistency, because at the same time. The idea is that this should be a fast truce. That's what President Trump has repeatedly characterized this.

So there was a sense that they want to kind of study exactly what the Russian president is saying to them before they work out what the response might be. But there you have you do have a sense of sort of inconsistency, because at the same time. The idea is that this should be a fast truce. That's what President Trump has repeatedly characterized this.

But at the same time, you heard there from Mr. Rubio, it's going to take some time to establish what the Russians are talking about. You know, I think what they say when they're pressed about this is at least the discussions are about peace. And you heard him say there after the meeting. three years of war.

But at the same time, you heard there from Mr. Rubio, it's going to take some time to establish what the Russians are talking about. You know, I think what they say when they're pressed about this is at least the discussions are about peace. And you heard him say there after the meeting. three years of war.

The fear, of course, from some in Europe is what all of this process is doing is basically rewarding the invading power. And that has carries the risk of emboldening Vladimir Putin as he occupies a fifth of Ukraine territory.