Russia likely to exploit 30-day ceasefire, warns Ukrainian MP

MP Roman Kostenko started this, as reported by Espreso correspondent Kateryna Halko.

“Is this truce possible? Right now, everything depends on the Russians and their response. The question is who and how will take advantage of it. This remains an open issue. I will say that maintaining the ceasefire, controlling what happens during it, and confirming that it is being upheld are very complex processes,” he said.

According to the MP, before signing such an agreement, it is necessary to clearly define specific steps: who is responsible for what and what actions should be taken in case of violations.

“But I will repeat once again: at the moment, it is unclear who benefits more from this truce because the Russians will certainly try to take advantage of it. They will destabilize society, using this pause for demobilization, then talk about elections and the cancellation of martial law. And we understand that the Russians themselves will not actually do any of this. Therefore, these are complex processes, and we must be aware of all the risks,” Kostenko added.

He recalled previous ceasefire agreements in 2014 and 2019. According to the MP, some lasted only a few seconds, while others lasted several days.

“Even when people in Kyiv were still discussing the truce, battles were already taking place on the front lines. And proving who violated the ceasefire first is very difficult. There were even situations where we, the officers, were forced to stay in the trenches alongside soldiers to monitor them: ‘Make sure the soldiers don’t open fire.’ But this is a thousand kilometers of the front line. Russia can use this,” he emphasized.

He suggested that the Russians could use the 30-day period to build up their forces, plan new operations, and destabilize Ukraine from within, including by raising the issue of elections.

U.S.-Ukraine talks in Saudi Arabia

On March 11, the Ukrainian and American delegations met in Jeddah, following which Kyiv agreed to a 30-day ceasefire with Russia, and the United States agreed to immediately resume intelligence sharing and security assistance.

The U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said“the ball is now in Russia’s court” after Ukraine agreed to a proposed ceasefire.

White House National Security Advisor Mike Waltz said after talks with the Ukrainian delegation in Saudi Arabia that President Donald Trump has decided to cancel the pause in military aid to Ukraine.

Trump expressed hope that Russia would agree to a one-month ceasefire in Ukraine.

High Representative Kaja Kallas issued a statement in which the EU welcomes the joint decision of Ukraine and the United States following negotiations and expresses its readiness to fully participate in steps toward achieving peace.

Head of the President’s Office Andriy Yermak stated that discussions on the details of a ceasefire in Ukraine will begin next week.