US arms flow to Ukraine again as Kremlin mulls ceasefire

Kyiv, Mar. 13: U.S. arms deliveries to Ukraine resumed Wednesday, officials said, a day after the Trump administration lifted its suspension of military aid for Kyiv in its fight against Russia's invasion, and Ukrainian officials signalled that they were open to a 30-day ceasefire backed by Washington.

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said Wednesday that it's important not to "get ahead" of the question of responding to the ceasefire proposal. He told reporters that Moscow is awaiting "detailed information" about it from the U.S. and suggested that Russia must get that first before it can take a position.

Arms deliveries to Ukraine have already resumed through a Polish logistics centre, the foreign ministers of Ukraine and Poland announced Wednesday. The deliveries go through a NATO and U.S. hub in the eastern Polish city of Rzeszow that has been used to ferry Western weapons into neighbouring Ukraine about 70 kilometres (45 miles) away.

The American military help is vital for Ukraine's shorthanded and weary army, which is having a tough time keeping Russia's bigger military force at bay. But for Moscow, more American aid spells potentially more difficulty in achieving its war aims and likely will be a tough sell in Moscow for Washington's peace efforts.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Wednesday that Washington will pursue "multiple points of contacts" with Russia to see if President Vladimir Putin is ready to negotiate an end to the war. He declined to give details.

"The ball is truly in their court," Rubio said at a refuelling stopover in Shannon, Ireland on his way to talks in Canada with other Group of Seven leading industrialized nations. Rubio said he hoped to see Russia stop attacks on Ukraine within the next few days as a first step.

"We don't think it's constructive to stand here today and say what we're going to do if Russia says no," Rubio said, adding he wanted to avoid statements about Russia that "are abrasive in any way." His comments came amid intensifying Russian effort to push Ukrainian forces out of its Kursk region that has yielded breakthroughs in recent days, Ukrainian soldiers told The Associated Press. The fighting has escalated as ceasefire talks come to a head, with Moscow intent on taking back its territory and Kyiv determined to hold onto it as a bargaining chip in any negotiations.

Ukrainian forces made a daring raid into the Russian region last August in the first foreign occupation of Russian territory since World War II. They have held on despite intense pressure from tens of thousands of Russian and North Korean troops.

Recent fighting reportedly has focused on the Kursk town of Sudzha, which is a key Ukrainian supply hub and operational base. Ukrainian soldiers said the situation is dynamic and fighting continues in and around the town, but three of them conceded Russian forces were making headway.

Russian state news agencies RIA Novosti and Tass reported Wednesday that the Russian military have entered Sudzha.  AP