Putin Backs US Cease-Fire in Principle, Stops Short of Agreeing to Terms

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday expressed appreciation for a U.S.-backed cease-fire in Ukraine but stopped short of agreeing to the framework. Putin said that any cease-fire would have to deal with the root causes of the conflict and that many details needed to be sorted out before Moscow would agree to halt its invasion. “We agree with the proposals to cease hostilities,” Putin told reporters at a Kremlin news conference. “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.”...