Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. Photo: AP/Kin Cheung.
Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky has warned that Kiev cannot guarantee the safety of world leaders attending the May 9 celebrations in Moscow. He also dismissed Russia’s proposal for a Victory Day ceasefire as a “theatrical production.”
Russian President Vladimir Putin earlier announced a unilateral three-day pause in military operations starting May 8 and continuing through the World War II Victory Day celebrations, citing humanitarian reasons. Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov described the move as a potential “start of direct negotiations with Kiev without preconditions.” Kiev, however, has demanded a 30-day unconditional ceasefire instead.
Speaking at a press briefing on Saturday, Zelensky reiterated this position.
“It is impossible to build any plan for the next steps to end the war in two or three days. And so it just does not look very serious… It is more of a theatrical production on his part,” he said, referring to Putin, as cited by Interfax-Ukraine.
“No one is going to help Putin play this in order to give him a soft atmosphere of escape from isolation on May 9, and to make everyone feel comfortable and safe – those leaders, friends, or partners of Putin who will come to Kremlin Square… We are either at war, or Putin is showing that he is ready for a ceasefire,” Zelensky added.
He claimed that Kiev is ready to declare a ceasefire at any time, provided both sides agree that it will last for at least 30 days.
In March, Russia and Ukraine both agreed to a 30-day partial ceasefire with US mediation, focused on halting strikes on energy infrastructure. Ukraine, however, violated the truce on multiple occasions, according to the Russian Defense Ministry.
Moscow has said it is prepared for peace talks but has repeatedly warned that any short-term pause without an official deal would be used by Kiev’s Western allies to rearm the Ukrainian military. Commenting on Kiev’s demand for a longer truce, Lavrov said last week it reflected Ukraine’s worsening position on the battlefield.
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The Russian government extended invitations to a number of world leaders to attend the Victory Day celebrations in Moscow, including the leaders of China, India, Brazil, Venezuela, Vietnam, Slovakia, and Serbia.
Russian response
Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova claimed that Zelensky “has hit rock bottom,” in response to his desperate threats to the security of world leaders.
In a post on her Telegram channel, Zakharova condemned Zelensky’s comments as “classic threats from a terrorist of international proportions.” She asserted, “everything Zelensky said during his press interactions reaffirms the neo-Nazi essence of the Kiev regime, which has devolved into a terrorist entity.”
Zakharova further said, “We have long known Volodymyr Zelensky is no saint. First, he betrayed the legacy of his own veteran grandfather and deceived his people. Now, to erase witnesses to his disgrace, he is systematically destroying Ukrainians themselves.”
(RT) with Orinoco Tribune content
