President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Saturday that Ukraine would not comply with the three-day ceasefire proposed by Russia, and that such a short ceasefire would not help negotiate a permanent peace.
Ukraine in March accepted a proposal from the Trump administration for a 30-day ceasefire, followed by discussions on the location of the truce, steps to protect Russian-occupied nuclear power plants and protect the deployment of European peacekeepers.
The Russian counteroffer for a three-day ceasefire covering the anniversary of the end of World War II in Europe, a key political holiday in Russia, was simply a “theatrical show”.
Zelensky said on Saturday that the Russian offer was also intended to “create a soft atmosphere of expulsion from quarantine” for Russian President Vladimir V. Putin, and also to ease the safety of foreign leaders and senior officials taking part in the victory day parade in Moscow on May 9.
“We are simply at war or that Putin is ready to stop shooting as the first step to end the war,” Zelensky said. Ukraine's 30-day ceasefire offer remains on the table, he said, adding that if Russia accepts a longer ceasefire, Ukraine would be willing to start it before the May 9 holiday.
Since Russia began a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Kiev has repeatedly targeted the Russian capital, having designed and manufactured a growing fleet of explosive long-range drones that could hit Moscow.
Zelensky said on Saturday that Ukraine would not provide safety guarantees to its guests at the Red Square Parade on May 9th. Last week, Ukraine's Military Intelligence Director, Kirilo Budanov, aired a more direct threat, with parade guests saying “bring earplugs with them.”
Maria Zakharava, a spokeswoman for the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, responded that Zelensky's comments were a “direct threat” to the Russian celebration. Dmitri A. Medvedev, deputy chief of the Russian Security Council, threatened retaliation for the attack during the anniversary ritual, writing, “No one will guarantee that Kiev will see May 10 if a real provocation occurs on the day of victory.”
The rejection of Russia's offer comes when Zelensky established a somewhat secure position with the Trump administration in ceasefire talks that revised relations after the miserable oval offices cried out the match in February. He struggled to point out that Ukraine had accepted substantial consultations after accepting the government's proposed ceasefire, but Russia is not.
Progress on the battlefield slowed to crawl amidst astounding casualties, but Russia is still considered to have momentum in the war, and will lose leverage if the battle halts for a considerable period of time.
Last month, President Trump aired complaints about talks and artillery fires in Ukrainian cities that abandoned Russia's feet and killed civilian scores, and posted on social media that “Vladimir Stop!” missile strikes in Kiev killed 12 people and injured dozens.
In comments on Saturday, Zelensky praised the change in tone in a meeting with Trump with Pope Francis' funeral bystanders last month, calling it his “best conversation” with American leaders.
As the two sat in the face of Vatican chairs, he said he broached the US reopening of air defense weapons to Ukraine, suggesting that the US would impose additional sanctions on Russia. “I won't talk about the details, but what he said to me sounded strong,” Zelensky said.
On Thursday, State Department spokeswoman Tammy K. Bruce said the US has taken a step back as a mediator in consultations. It said this would bring only a limited commitment to reduce the airstrikes on energy infrastructure and the ceasefire for the early days of Easter Sunday, which both sides accused others of violating.
“We will certainly continue to commit to it, and we will help wherever we can,” Bruce said of his quest for peace. But she said, “We're not going to fly around the world wearing hats to mediate meetings.” The negotiations will “suppose Russia and Ukraine with specific ideas on how this conflict will end. It will be up to them,” she said.
On Saturday, Zelensky suggested that the US would retreat after a ceasefire was reached. He said, “Obviously, some countries hope to remain one-on-one with the Russians after the ceasefire agreement.”
Zelensky said he hopes European countries will play a role in response to questions about the outlook that the Trump administration is walking away from talks. The Europeans are “nearby,” he said.
