The White House on Tuesday cautiously welcomed Russian President Vladimir Putin's acceptance of a cease-fire in eastern Ukraine but wants to see "tangible actions" to de-escalate the crisis. Earlier Tuesday, Putin called for extending a weeklong case-fire in Ukraine and requested that Russian lawmakers revoke his authorization to invade Ukraine. White House spokesman Josh Earnest said Washington, which has threatened further sanctions on Moscow, was "reserving judgment" on Putin's call for extending the cease-fire and wanted to see clear evidence of a change in Russian behavior. "What we're focused ... on is not just the words of the Russian president, though we welcome them. What we're focused on is the actions," Earnest told reporters. "We do ... welcome any Russian steps to end the crisis in Ukraine, including President Putin's request to the Duma to revoke a resolution authorizing the use of Russian military forces in Ukraine," Earnest said. "We also welcome the separatists' acceptance of the cease-fire and the call on them to abide by it, and we certainly are supportive of any comments from President Putin about the value of a cease-fire agreement," the spokesman said.
