Putin backs US's 30-day Ukraine ceasefire proposal

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President Vladimir Putin said on Mar 13 that Russia agreed with US proposals to stop fighting but added that any ceasefire should lead to lasting peace and address the root causes of the conflict.

"We agree with the proposals to cease hostilities," Putin said at a news conference in the Kremlin after talks with Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko.

"But we proceed from the fact that this cessation should be such that it would lead to long-term peace and would eliminate the original causes of this crisis," he was quoted as saying by news agency Reuters in its report.