ANI
20 Mar 2025, 06:35 GMT+10
Washington DC [US], March 20 (ANI): US White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt, in her press briefing on Wednesday (local time), said that the parties involved in the Russia-Ukraine conflict have never been closer to a ceasefire than they are now.
Leavitt stated that intelligence sharing with Ukraine will continue.
'We've never been this close to peace and it is only because of President Trump that we are here. I think that a couple of years ago, as you all reported on the war, it was incomprehensible to have a partial ceasefire in this conflict, and today, that is true because of the leadership of this President,' she said.
'Intelligence sharing in terms of defence for Ukraine will continue to be shared,' she added.
Leavitt also mentioned that Trump had a 'very good' phone call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, where they mainly discussed topics from his earlier call with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
'When it comes to Ukraine, I do have a statement from the National Security Advisor and the Secretary of State. I would like to reiterate what the President said earlier following his call with President Zelenskyy this morning. He said he just completed a very good telephone call with President Zelenskyy. It lasted approximately one hour. Much of the discussion was based on a call made yesterday with President Putin in order to align both Russia and Ukraine in terms of their requests and needs. We are very much on track and I will ask Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Mike Waltz to give an accurate description of the points discussed,' she said.
US Department of State Spokesperson Tammy Bruce echoed Leavitt's remarks, saying, 'One thing that is clear is that, as I've noted, we've never been closer to a full ceasefire.'
Bruce said that United States Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff noted that they are a short way away from the ceasefire.
'As Envoy Witkoff noted last night, we are just a short way away from a complete ceasefire. That is clearly the goal. The goal has always been a ceasefire, within which we can begin negotiations for lasting peace. This agreement reflects our progress toward ending the conflict and is the first agreement that has created the potential for de-escalation, which is what we want. Of course, this brings us closer to a full ceasefire,' she said.
Bruce said that Trump and Putin agreed on the terms of a ceasefire and movement to peace.
'They agreed the movement to peace will begin with an energy and infrastructure ceasefire as well as technical negotiations on implementation of a maritime ceasefire in the Black Sea. Full ceasefire and permanent peace... In addition to these conversations, a special envoy Witkoff met with Putin last week. Last weekend, Secretary Rubio spoke with Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, and, of course, Secretary Rubio and National Security Adviser Waltz met with the Ukrainian delegation. Negotiations will continue in Saudi Arabia in the coming days,' she said.
Commenting on Russia's strikes on Ukrainian civilian establishments, Bruce said that such attacks are exactly what Trump is trying to stop, emphasizing his commitment to peace. She added that Trump has urged both sides to move toward a ceasefire.
'On reports of Russian strikes and civilian infrastructure overnight, attacks like these are precisely what President Trump is committed to peace. It is time for the death and destruction to stop and for an end to the senseless war. Secretary Rubio has said, there is no military solution to this war. All sites need to move to a ceasefire. President Trump has made this clear as well. We cannot get to the table for negotiations to end the war without a ceasefire in place. The shooting has to stop first,' she said. (ANI)
Get a daily dose of Mexico City Sun news through our daily email, its complimentary and keeps you fully up to date with world and business news as well.
Publish news of your business, community or sports group, personnel appointments, major event and more by submitting a news release to Mexico City Sun.
More InformationNew Delhi [India] March 28 (ANI): Bilateral trade between India and the US is likely to be signed by the end of the year, said Arvind...
BUENOS AIRES, 28th March, 2025 (WAM) -- As part of the Iftar Initiative, and in cooperation with the Emirates Red Crescent, the UAE...
New Delhi [India], March 28 (ANI): Congress MP Shashi Tharoor has welcomed US President Donald Trump's recent recognition of India's...
New Delhi [India], March 27 (ANI): A first batch of 22 Indian Shooters, accompanied by 13 support staff, left in the early hours of...
BEIJING, March 27 (Xinhua) -- A selection of the best press photos from Xinhua. This photo taken on March 26, 2025 shows an interior...
Bazil's Supreme Court has unanimously accepted a complaint against former president Jair Bolsonaro and seven allies for attempting...
DUBLIN, Ireland: As tensions rise between the United States and the European Union over potential tariffs, Ireland's Central Bank governor...
SYDNEY, Australia - A recent Roy Morgan survey indicates that if a federal election were held today, the Australian Labor Party (ALP)...
Multinationals are reportedly looking to re-access the country's market amid Ukraine ceasefire talks ...
New Delhi [India], March 28 (ANI): The Cabinet Committee on Security on Friday gave its nod for the biggest ever deal to buy 156 Light...
Ukrainian forces continue to attack Russian energy infrastructure in violation of the US-backed ceasefire, according to Dmitry Peskov...
The American AI model provides harsh, ideological answers, Valery Fadeyev has said Popular artificial intelligence model ChatGPT...