Russian President Vladimir Putin supports the position of U.S. President Donald Trump on a settlement of the conflict in Ukraine, but has concerns over remaining unresolved issues, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Friday.
Despite that there are still lots to be done, the Russian president expressed solidarity with Mr. Trump's position, the spokesman said, adding that there were grounds for "cautious optimism" regarding a settlement of the conflict.
The spokesman confirmed that the Russian president held talks with U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff late on Thursday, adding that once the U.S. diplomat shared remaining details with Trump, it would be possible to determine a potential time for the two presidents to talk.
During a press briefing on Thursday, Putin said Russia is "in favor" of the 30-day ceasefire plan proposed by the U.S. and Ukraine, but that nuances exist.
Trump said later on Thursday that he saw "good signals" toward finalizing the ceasefire agreement between Russia and Ukraine.
The U.S. has reached a ceasefire agreement with Ukraine and is now negotiating a similar deal with Russia, Trump said Friday, adding that further details will be released on Monday.
On the same day, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said that the U.S. is "cautiously optimistic" about resolving the conflict, but he admitted that the ceasefire discussions are "a difficult and complex situation", describing it as a "long journey."
Rubio called on both Russia and Ukraine to make certain concessions to help resolve the conflict.
Responding to Putin's remarks, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said the Russian leader is setting many preconditions to delay the ceasefire for as long as possible.
He also emphasized the need for the U.S. to apply pressure on Russia to take significant steps toward ending the war.
Putin backs Trump's stance on Ukraine settlement, but says "unresolved issues" remain: Kremlin
Putin backs Trump's stance on Ukraine settlement, but says "unresolved issues" remain: Kremlin
Analysts have warned that the separatist statements made recently by leader of Taiwan region Lai Ching-te constitute a challenge to the bottom line and the red line of the mainland.
On Thursday, the eve of the 20th anniversary of the implementation of China's Anti-Secession Law, Lai held a meeting in which he portrayed the mainland as a "hostile external force" and outlined 17 strategies to counter the so-called threats facing the island.
"There is no doubt that the Lai Ching-te authorities' actions are an attempt to challenge the bottom line and the red line of the mainland, especially Article 8 of the Anti-Secession Law. His actions are indeed extremely dangerous," said Zhang Hua, a researcher at the Institute of Taiwan Studies, the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences.
"We must carefully analyze whether his actions have touched Article 8 of the Anti-Secession Law, that is, 'the state shall employ non-peaceful means and other necessary measures to protect China's sovereignty and territorial integrity.' The more rambunctious Lai Ching-te becomes, the faster we will see a solution of the Taiwan question and achieve unification," said Zhu Songling, a professor at the Institute of Taiwan Studies in Beijing Union University.
Article 8 of the law states that the state shall employ non-peaceful means and other necessary measures to protect China's sovereignty and territorial integrity in the event that the "Taiwan independence" secessionist forces should act under any name or by any means to cause the fact of Taiwan's secession from China, or that major incidents entailing Taiwan's secession from China should occur, or that possibilities for a peaceful reunification should be completely exhausted.
Analysts said Lai's separatist actions would push Taiwan closer to the brink of conflict.
His proposal to "reinstate military tribunals" is viewed as a strategic move to suppress political opponents on the island which further reveals his anxiety and insecurity, analysts said.
"Lai Ching-te's intensified incitement against the mainland cannot be ruled out as a strategic foreshadowing laid by him to suppress political dissidents on the island," said Chen Chao, deputy director of the Center for Taiwan Studies, Shanghai Jiao Tong University.
"Lai Ching-te is very anxious because his public support in the Taiwan region has continued to plunge. Polls conducted last month showed that public support for Lai was approaching a 'death cross' where the opposition outnumbers the support. So he resorted to provoking confrontation between the two sides of the Taiwan Strait," Zhang Hua said.
Analysts see Lai Ching-te's separatist statements as challenge to mainland's red line
