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
Thousands of demonstrators rallied in Italy and Greece on Saturday to protest against U.S. military intervention in Venezuela, with protesters in Rome, Milan and Athens condemning Washington's actions and calling for respect for Venezuelan sovereignty.
In Rome, more than 1,000 demonstrators marched toward the area near the U.S. Embassy, calling on Washington to immediately release Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife.
Police blocked roads around the embassy to prevent protesters from approaching the building, but demonstrators continued to denounce U.S. actions.
"First of all, we oppose U.S. imperialist aggression. This kind of behavior is shameful. The U.S. is attacking a sovereign country, and as [U.S. President Donald] Trump himself has said, this is for oil interests," said protester Giovanni Barbera.
Saturday's rally marked the second large-scale protest in Rome this month against U.S. military operations in Venezuela, following an earlier one on on Jan 3.
Participants included members of multiple political parties, labor unions and social organizations. The protesters held banners reading "Stop imperialist interference" and "Free Maduro," urging the international community to respect Venezuela's sovereignty and the will of its people, and condemning the U.S. for violating international law.
"We are protesting the way the U.S. handles international politics. Since the events of January 3, we have seen violations of international law, and we are very concerned about how the global situation is developing," said protester Stefano De Angelis.
Organizers said solidarity rallies in support of Venezuela were held in 30 Italian cities on the same day.
Meanwhile, similar protests were also staged in Greece. About 200 people gathered outside the U.S. Embassy in Athens, voicing support for Venezuela and opposition to U.S. military actions.
"We oppose U.S. imperialism and its attack on Venezuela. At the same time, the U.S. is also threatening Cuba, Mexico and Greenland. We must stand up against this behavior," said Greek protester Argiro Sirmakezi.
Protesters rally in Italy, Greece against U.S. military operation in Venezuela
